Battled
by Casey Redbird
Summary: Zoey is safe, but at what cost? Neferet has manipulated a war between humans and vampyres. Stark may or may not be going Dark. Zoey is impossibly torn between Stark and Aurox. And just when the chaos is too much to handle, a shocking secret's revelation may change everything. In the final House of Night novel, Darkness will be BATTLED. Disclaimer: I don't own House of Night.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Zoey_

_I run breathlessly through the grass, my feet stirring up a magickal dust that seems to float around me with the power of the Goddess from within. My long, dark hair swings behind me, and I know I look strong and powerful and mature like a proper High Priestess of Nyx should. I run without stopping, even though my muscles ache defiantly against the movement. My shoulders are squared, and my fist is closed tightly around the sword that is a gift from my Goddess. I've finally come full circle. I'm ready for this moment, and no moment else. _

_ For a moment, I do not worry about anything else going on in the background- the battle between Light and Darkness that rages beyond me, or the dark shadow fighting the bright shadow in the sky. All I focus on is my enemy. I narrow my eyes, lowering my head and charging at her. _

_ I swing my sword perfectly, just as I was taught before. The sword meets hers, and we begin our battle. I look back on what Nyx told me the day I was Marked: "Darkness does not always equate to evil, just as Light does not always bring good." I know now that what she was saying is the absolute truth, the whole truth, and not part of the truth. And as I fight until my last breath, I fight with every intention of winning. _

_ Above me, in the sky, the light cries out as it is stabbed by the darkness, and everything changes... for the worse. _

...

I sat straight up in bed. My heart was pounding, and my skin had broken out into a cold sweat. My hair was matted and nappy against my back, and my eyelashes were wet as if I'd been crying. What type of dream had that been?

"Zoey?" Aurox murmured, his arm instantly around me. "Are you okay?"

His touch felt warm, nice, so nice that it almost distracted me from the terror I'd felt at awakening. I leaned into him, sighing. He felt so much like _Heath _that I wanted to just kiss him and make love to him and forget all about everything I'd experienced in my dream, using love as a shield.

And I almost did.

But then I thought about how quickly my eyes had widened when I'd seen the light in the sky stabbed. I knew the dream had been a message from Nyx, and I shouldn't hide Nyx's messages, especially important ones. Hiding them would be lying, and I didn't want to lie, especially not to Aurox.

So I sighed and turned so that I was looking in his eyes. "I had a dream. I think it was a message from the Goddess. In the dream, I was fighting someone with a sword... I can't remember who. I think it was Neferet. We fought for a while. There was a battle going on between Light and Darkness at the east wall. And in the sky, two... two things were battling. Like, a light, and a darkness. I think they could've been the black and white bulls. They were fighting as we were fighting. And then the white bull stabbed the black bull. And that's when I woke up."

Aurox gasped. "Are you saying the white bull won the battle?"

I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and sighed. "I don't know, Aurox. I don't know anything. I feel so useless. I feel like crap. I don't feel like a High Priestess of Nyx. A High Priestess shouldn't keep messing up. I'm only seventeen. My soul's been shattered and broken so many times it's not funny. Neferet's declared war on humans because I wasn't here to stop her. So many people have died because of me. I'm a crappy High Priestess, and I can't fight Darkness itself, let alone Neferet." Tears brimmed in my eyes.

"No." Aurox suddenly sounded grown and mature, and there was irritation in his voice. "Stop beating yourself up, Zo. You are the first Fledgling High Priestess, and the most beautiful High Priestess there is at that." I blushed at that part, but he ignored it and continued. "Darkness can never really be defeated, but you can fight it- you fight it every day, even if you don't realize it. If you weren't fighting it, you would be on its side right now. You have an affinity for all five of the elements, and you know how to use it. Sure, you're soul's been broken apart several times before, but each time, you healed yourself and came back, won your life back from Darkness. Sure, you may be just a kid. But I have faith in you. Stevie Rae has faith in you. Damien, Dragon, Anastasia, your mother, and Jack had and still have faith in you. Stark has faith in you. Shaunee and Lenobia and Travis and Nicole and Shaylin and Erik and Thanatos and Kalona and Aphrodite and Darius have faith in you. And most importantly, Nyx has faith in you. If it comes down to it, all you need is the Goddess. As long as you believe in her, you should be able to go on. Brush off your fear and become the High Priestess Nyx wants you to be, instead of hiding in the shadows."

Aurox's words were basically what I'd been hearing for a long time, that I basically needed to shut up and be a good High Priestess. But this time, they actually took substance in my heart, in my soul. I felt my lips turning up into a smile as I stared at him, the tears that had been brimming in my eyes welling up and spilling over. I blinked furiously against them, beyond words. When I could finally speak, my words were breathy and so low that he had to lean forward to hear me. "Thank you so much for telling me that, Aurox. You're right. I'm only what I make myself out to be- and a weak, scared High Priestess is not what I am. I refuse to let it be."

"Of course. You think I find weak, scared girls attractive?" The grin that lit up his face was what I was coming to recognize as his shameless grin, a grin that Heath used to have.

"Of course not," I agreed, and leaned forward so that I could kiss him. Our lips met, and he pulled me closer, his hands moving to my breasts. I all but welded myself to him and forgot about Neferet and Stark and everything that was bothering me as I made love to him with everything in my soul.

But just because you forget about your problems, doesn't mean they cease to exist.

_Stark_

Stark sat outside of Zoey's room, his eyes widened in anger. His fists were clenched, and it was taking every shred of respect he had for his Goddess not to burst into the room and choke Aurox. He tried to remember that he'd been friends with Heath, and that Heath was Aurox, but he couldn't see much past the wall of hatred and anger that had been building and building since Zoey had revealed that she thought Heath might be Aurox.

And suddenly, sharply, sadness pierced him like a naked dagger, so harshly that he fell back against the wall, closing his eyes and biting his lip to stop the sudden tears from forming. What was wrong with him? And then he realized the sadness he was feeling might not be his sadness. It wasn't exactly easy to forget that he'd Imprinted with Terri, but it was easy for it to momentarily slip his mind while he was distracted by other things, and when those things happened to include Zoey.

He was pissed, but not exactly at her. His anger wasn't exactly directed toward Aurox either. It was mostly at himself, for allowing this. He remembered when he'd told Zoey that her being with other guys wouldn't let him get pissed and jealous and selfish and leave her, and he knew he would try to stick to that commitment. He'd try his hardest to be her Guardian, to protect her from the Darkness that was only starting to become him, and to love her. But it wouldn't be easy if he knew that when he wasn't with her, he was probably in the arms of some other guy. Especially a guy that was his friend.

A sigh escaped him, full of longing and regret and hurt and pain and loss. He wanted Zoey, more than anything. She'd been the one to save him from the dark abyss that he'd leapt into when he'd awakened as a red fledgling. And he'd Changed into a Light vampyre only because of her- because of his commitment to her and how much he loved her and how much she loved him. Not for her to be just fucking every guy on the block.

Stark's eyebrows raised as the sadness within him grew, almost to the point where he was considering suicide. _What is wrong with her? _Ever since he'd saved the fledgling's life in battle, giving her his blood in a dire moment of need, he hadn't seen her, and for that he was glad. He knew that spending time with her would just complicate things further, and that was a complication he didn't need at the moment. He thought about how difficult it would be to be in a love triangle.

_Exactly the situation Z's in, _his conscience pointed out. _You should really cut her some slack. She has a hard decision to make. She loves you, but she loves him, too, and it's not going to be easy for her. You should see the stress she goes through trying to make her choice. And either choice she makes, it won't be easy. There's a long road of stress and pain ahead of her. _

He knew the voice within him was right, but for some reason he still felt anger. He decided to ignore it and focus on Terri's sadness. He closed his eyes and felt it, felt the center of it, and felt where it was coming from. He stood, almost entranced by the powerful magick, and followed the connection out of the room, out of the hallway, and up out of the tunnels. He didn't notice the Darkness that shivered in the air wherever he stood, easily swayed and ready to follow his command.

When he got out of the tunnels, he stared at the midday sky. The day was bright, though the sun wasn't out. It was humid and warm, but not hot enough to injure him or heed him in any way. Stark breathed a sigh of relief as he walked a little further, thinking about the first day he'd come to these tunnels. And then he ran right smack into Terri.

She was standing in front of him. As his eyes widened when he saw her, he realized how cute she was- seriously cute in a _badass_ type of way. Her long brown hair fell gently to her shoulders. Her full lips were pursed and almost tilted up in a smile. Her electric blue eyes seemed to see into his soul. She was short, and he loved short girls. His eyes raked down her body and the T-shirt and sweatpants he was wearing, that clearly brought out her boobs and her ass. He licked his lips. "Hey."

"Hey," she said, grinning at him.

"What are you doing here?" Stark had asked an honest question, but the words sounded so cold that she grimaced.

"I came here to see you." The words were a verbal caress.

"Why would you want to see me?" He could feel her sudden happiness, her almost elated joy. Did that mean he had been the reason for her sadness?

"We Imprinted, remember?" She sighed. "To be perfectly honest, I came here to find out why you did it."

He knew his face was like a question mark when she continued. "You saved me," she reminded him. "You gave me your blood so I would survive, but we're on opposing sides in a very real battle between Light and Darkness. Why would you do that?"

He hesitated. "I... honestly don't know. I... there was something in me that couldn't just let you die. I acted before I could think."

"And your quick thinking was what brought us into this crappy situation," she said, sighing.

"Yeah," he agreed, smiling.

"But... there's something about it. I don't want to say let's just break it and forget about each other," she said softly, looking away from him and blushing.

"But you're bad. I'm good."

She laughed. "Oh, cutie. I don't have to be bad. You don't have to be good. You already know that."

"Yeah, but I _want _to be good, and I'm pretty sure you _want _to be bad." Stark's eyebrows matted together in frustration. "I don't know what I want right now, but I know what I do want is Nyx, and I'm pretty sure you don't give two rat's asses about my Goddess."

"Yeah, you're right," she said slowly. "But do you care about the Light as much as you say you do?"

He stared at her for a long moment, wanting to shout at her and tell her how wrong she was and how committed to Light and Nyx he was. But the words stuck in his throat, almost lodged there, because he couldn't say it. He couldn't lie to her. He wanted to be on the side of Light, but there were things holding him back, things in his soul that he'd doubted since the beginning of his reign as Zoey's Warrior. He could see it now, plain as day. Stark was not completely on the side of Light.

"I-" was all he could say.

"Exactly," she said, smiling. "You're not as goody-goody as you act like. You'd give up Light in a heartbeat. Only, what would it take to push you that far?" And with that, she turned, tossing her hair behind her back in a move slightly reminiscent of Aphrodite, and walked away. Stark stared after her for a long moment as she got into the car that was parked beside the tunnels, which he hadn't seen before. Then she drove off without looking back.

Stark stared in the direction the car had gone for a long moment. Eventually he sighed, turned around, and descended into the tunnels.

**WELCOME TO BATTLED EVERYBODY! ****This is just the prologue, so bear with me. But the Light/Darkness battle theme is pretty much the theme of this book, so if you liked that, you'll probably like this book. I love the fans that have stayed with me and appreciate you guys so much, heart you! Until the next chapter. **

** XOXO,**

** Casey**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

_Shaylin_

Shaylin sat straight up in bed, suddenly in shock. The tenor of her dream had provided her shock, she realized. She remembered how Stark had lunged for Zoey, the bow and arrow in his hands changing into a dark spear as he sauntered forward to kill her...

Her hands flew to her throat, and she couldn't breathe. Shock and grief were choking her.

"Hey! Shaylin!" Erik's voice sounded mature and worried. "Are you alright?" He sat up in bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist as her breathing finally settled to normal.

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "I just... that dream..." Tears brimmed in her eyes and she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming.

"Tell me what happened, Shaylin," Erik ordered, his voice so manly and deep and attractive that she felt the need to instantly spill her guts to him. So she did. Every part of that wretched dream came out of her in that moment.

"I saw Stark and Zoey having a big argument. Stark slapped Zoey and she pushed him and then he shot his magick arrow at her and it hit her straight in the heart and she died and he was crying and he went to Neferet and Neferet killed us all..." Shaylin was sobbing. "Stark killed Zoey..."

"I'm sure that won't happen," he reassured. "Stark loves Zoey. Those two fit together like a puzzle piece."

"But..." She closed her eyes. "Stark's colors have been changing recently."

"Like mine?" She looked at him then. As usual, at first all she saw was Erik Night- gorgeous, with dark hair and blue eyes and muscle and all that. Then she saw past that, and his body blurred so she could see his colors deep within. She saw a deep green that seemed to sparkle and shine, so different than the pea green he'd been when she'd first met him. There was a blue in the center, like the kindness in him was finally coming out, which was what was changing the rest.

"No, not like yours," she said softly. "Your colors are a deep shiny green with a blue ocean in the center. The ocean is washing away the sadness in you." Shaylin followed her gut feeling. "I think that represents _me_," she realized with a sick roll of her stomach.

"You're definitely helping me get over Jack's and Damien's deaths," he whispered. "Which have been very sad-making."

"Sad-making indeed," she said, smiling sadly. "But I have a feeling. My element's telling me that Damien was meant to die, to return to Jack and see his Consort again. But that doesn't mean we'll never see them again."

"Really?" She could see the hope in Erik's eyes.

"Really," she assured him. "But we're getting off topic. Stark's colors are changing in a bad way. At first they were red and gold, with just a little black. That meant that he was a proud Guardian Warrior protecting his Queen, but she was the only thing keeping him tethered to Light. Now, the black has expanded and there's only a little red. I think that means he's very close to Darkness now, and if he chooses it, he'll break his Guardian Oath to Zoey. Do you know what happens when the Guardian breaks his Oath?"

"When a Warrior breaks his Oath the Warrior dies, so I'm assuming the same happens when a Guardian Oath is broken, but Guardian Oaths are stronger, so maybe the punishment will be worse," Erik whispered.

Shaylin paled. "Then we've got to stop Stark from doing something stupid."

"We can. I know we can." Erik's eyes were hard. "Stark, like Stevie Rae, reveled in Darkness when he returned to life. I know it will be hard, but I know what makes Stark tick."

"What?"

The word that left Erik's lips was soft, but with no emotion whatsoever, and Shaylin knew that she would be the key to keeping Stark tethered to Light.

"Zoey."

_Neferet_

_Memories battered her. _

She struggled- no, she was supposed to be doing something. Why was she just _lying _here?

_Memories consumed her. _

She fought against the sudden tidal wave of memory, though it beguiled her as much as it tied her down.

_Memories intrigued her. _

And finally, Neferet Englewood, former High Priestess of the Tulsa House of Night and Queen Tsi Sgili of vampyres, sighed and let the memories overtake her.

_That first night when they'd moved into that big beautiful house in Sicily. Her father's hesitance to leave his liquor, which had caused the two to get into their first argument. He'd beat her and abused her every night for five years. _

_ No! _Her hatred for her father almost shattered the wall of memories. But it didn't. It didn't.

_ And then, she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. Three weeks later, she'd died. Of course, pretending to be the big caring man, her father had thrown a lavish funeral, with his wife getting a golden casket. Most of Sicily had attended. Neferet had only been ten years old at that point. After the funeral, she'd had a night of peace, like the calm before the storm. That next night, her father had turned his attention to her. _

_ No! Nyx, please help me! _But there was nothing she could do as the next, painful tidal wave of memories hit her.

_He'd started off by trying to have sex with her, to which she'd vehemently refused. Then, he'd started raping her to use her as his wife. After that the abuse came. _

Neferet's body shook with tears as the next set of memories came.

_He'd broken several of her bones, including her leg and arm one night. He'd nearly bitten off her breasts, and he'd scratched her skin up and down. Neferet had been considering suicide. That night, after the abuse ended and he pulled out of her, she'd taken the rope and had prepared to hang herself. _

And then, Neferet smiled.

_Her life had flashed before her eyes. Just as Nyx had been able to remove her soul from her body, the inevitable had happened. She'd seen the boy standing outside her window. He'd smiled at her, a genuine smile. That had been the first real show of emotion she'd had in years. So, she'd untied herself and smiled back, running to her window and looking down to see who he was- did she recognize him from somewhere?_

Neferet's smile grew as the next set of memories hit her.

_His name had been Jonathan Meyers, but he'd told her to call him Johnny. The two had become great friends, and he'd been the only reason for her to stay alive. And then, they'd started dating. Johnny had bought her lavish gifts, which she'd of course hid from her father. They'd dated for five years before the inevitable had happened. _

Neferet's smile faded and the tears returned.

_Johnny had been standing on her lawn. She'd urged him to leave before her father saw him, but he hadn't cared. He'd wanted to kill her father for what he'd done to her. He'd prepared, but her father had killed Johnny. Neferet had cried as he'd abused her ten times harder and then left her outside like a rag doll to die. That morning, the vampyre had appeared to her, and Marked her. _

Neferet's smile returned, but this time the smile was one of Darkness.

_When she'd been Marked, she'd left for Chicago instantly, and had risen to become the High Priestess of the Tulsa House of Night. Her father's abuse had caused her to have a hatred for humans, which only developed over the years. She'd wanted to kill them all- to lord power over them and make them pay for what her father had done. And Darkness, in all its power, had touched her and warped her into the beautiful Tsi Sgili she'd been when Zoey Redbird had showed up and shaken up everything. _

Surprising herself, she didn't feel anger- she felt remorse and sorrow at the thought of Zoey.

_At first she'd hated the girl. But then Theseus had come back to her. Johnny had come back to her. And everything had changed. He'd shown her Light and love and happiness and humanity, and she'd had no reason to disagree, which had warped her. She remembered those last few moments before Darkness had captured her and taken her to the loop of memories she was stuck in now. She'd found her humanity. _

Neferet sobbed softly. Her humanity had not left her. And that realization burned boomingly through her, which was what shattered the Dark spell that trapped her and awakened her. She was cold. She lay on the ground. Dirt surrounded her, and her head ached. She sat up, groaning. Where was she?

She stared up at the building before her. It was the Mayo building.

"Ohh," Neferet groaned as she rose to her feet. Her dress was tattered and ripped. Her hair was messed up. Scars lined her beautiful body and skin. Neferet was now reminiscent of the way she'd been before she'd gotten Marked.

Tears threatened to beguile her, but she fought them back- she did not need to cry now.

_"You have awakened, my heartless one?" _The white bull's voice made her jump.

"I am not your heartless one," Neferet snapped. "Not anymore. I long for Light now."

_"You cannot have what you so desire!" _The power and anger in the white bull's voice was so potent that her back went straight up, and it took her every ounce of control not to cringe. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there, watching her. _"It is only through you that Darkness will win."_

"And..." Neferet had been about to say _'Darkness can't win.' _And that was what she believed. But she knew the white bull would never let her go freely. If she was going to escape his grasp, she was going to have to do so secretly. She smiled. "And I will help you."

The white bull finally appeared before her, and his smile broke out into a raging grin like a slick, setting moon. _"Thank you, my heartless one. War will ensue on the Tulsa House of Night in one week, a war so powerful it will make Nyx rescind her edict. You need power on your side, since you are no longer immortal. I could return your immortality, but it would take time- time that we do not have. So for now you will look to the preserves of the Cherokee and find your fellow Tsi Sgili people and ask their assistance." _

"As you wish, my lord." Neferet bowed humbly to her. He moved closer to her, and she climbed on his back. It was with Herculean effort that she didn't cringe away from his cold, slimy skin. The white bull rode off into the night, and all the while she was formulating a plan. She would rebel against him when he needed her most. She would thwart Darkness from the inside.

Inside her, the rebellious, carefree child who was so in love with Johnny smiled.

_Zoey_

My eyes flew open. The second dream hadn't been anything prophetic or anything like that, but it had scared me. I'd seen an image of Stark turning Dark- his brilliant red eyes had been what had caused me to wake up. This time I did not stir Aurox, but a glance at the clock had caused me to shake him awake.

"Aurox," I said. "We have to meet with the circle."

"Okay," he murmured sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Come on."

After we were both dressed, we headed down to the kitchen, where Stevie Rae, Rephaim, and Stark were waiting. It jarred me to see Stark standing there, but I tried to ignore him, focusing on Stevie Rae. "Good morning," she said, smiling sleepily. "Or technically night."

"Good morning," I responded, grinning at him. Without looking at him, I murmured, "Good morning, Stark."

He didn't respond, but nodded at me. Something about the nod and the look in his eyes made me shiver.

"Ohmigod I just remembered something!" Stevie Rae gasped. "We were supposed to be having a bake sale at the House of Night, and now it's in shambles. But a bake sale could be the only thing that saves us all."

"We can still have it," I said. "We could have it down here, to be honest. Or we could have it _outside _the House of Night. Bake sales don't have to be inside."

"But we were gonna have an open house and job fair type of thingie," she said, confused.

"Okay, that we'll have to do down here," Rephaim said, surprising everyone. "Those types of things have to be inside. And if this place was going to be a House of Night anyway, we'd better start advertising that this is the new House of Night."

"You're right," I agreed. "Call the rest in here."

Stevie Rae nodded and walked out, Rephaim behind her. Aurox squeezed my hand and the two of us were left alone with Stark. Chills rolled down my spine, and my gut was telling me _don't trust him. _Okay, it wasn't literally saying that, but that was what I was feeling.

"So. You two are an item?" Stark dragged out the word _item. _

"Yes." Aurox's voice was strong and mature and he sounded way older than he looked. "Zoey and I are together. She's my soul mate- my other half- we're destined to be together. Nyx herself said it."

Stark looked shell-shocked. "Nyx said you guys were soul mates?"

"She did," I said sadly. "Stark. Don't be upset."

"I'm not upset," he muttered. "I had a feeling as soon as I knew Aurox was Heath that some shit like this would happen." Suddenly, his eyes flashed red. "You said you wouldn't cheat on me, Zoey."

"I never said that," I disagreed. "Actually, _you _said you wouldn't get pissed and selfish and leave me again- just like you're doing!"

His eyes were suddenly soft and sad. "I didn't leave you," he vehemently disagreed. "I always waited for you, but you were with _him. _In our bed."

"Don't think she's suddenly with me and she's forgotten all about you," Aurox retorted. "Last night, she called me Stark."

"Oh yeah!" I felt sadness as I remembered. When Aurox had kissed me, I'd called him Stark. I'd actually thought he was Stark for a second.

His eyes were hopeful and he suddenly looked so much more like the Stark I knew. "Really?"

"Really, Stark," I promised. "I haven't just forgotten you. I love you." I saw the pain in Aurox's eyes, but I tried my best to ignore it- I couldn't please both of them. "I love you, Stark, but at the same time, I love you, Aurox. It's going to be hard to choose, but I have to."

They were both silent, staring at each other for a long moment. It surprised me that they weren't arguing. Then I remembered that Heath and Stark had been friends before Heath had died. So _that _was why they weren't at each other's throats.

Just at that moment, Stevie Rae came back in the kitchen with Rephaim, Shaunee, Aphrodite, Darius, Nisroc, Nicole, Thanatos, Kalona, Shaylin, Erik, Kramisha, and Jordan. Everyone looked tired but determined as we all walked to the kitchen table and sat in the same spots we'd sat in last night. I was beginning to think of them as my Council.

Everyone looked at me expectantly, even Thanatos, waiting for me to speak. My words lodged in my throat as I realized how much I'd missed this. Everyone was looking up to me- trusting in me- believing in me.

"So. About this bake sale," I began. "We were supposed to be having it at the House of Night, but there's no more House of Night. Rephaim came up with the idea of having the bake sale down here. I like the idea. It would introduce the humans to the new House of Night. But if we're going to have a bake sale, this place needs cleaning up and reconstruction. And the bake sale's supposed to be in four days."

"You're right," Thanatos said softly. "Does anybody have a laptop?"

"I have my iPad," Shaunee said. "Does that count?"

"Does it have a camera and Skype?"

Shaunee nodded.

"We'll call the High Council. With their help, it will be a lot easier to clean up this place and expand it some more." Thanatos's sharp eyes met mine. "Zoey, you and Stevie Rae will go to Street Cats and ask the nuns to coordinate with your grandmother to have cats for adoption. The presence of the cats will have a neutral effect. You will be accompanied by your chosen Warriors. Also, Stevie Rae, call your mother and ask her to bake for the bake sale portion of the night." Her eyes flickered from Stark to Aurox with the hint of a smile. "Aphrodite, you, Shaunee and Nicole will shop for possible decorations. You as well will be accompanied by Warriors. Shaylin, you and Kramisha will advertise the bake sale. Go to places where vampyres aren't welcome. Don't hide your Marks. Convince humans that vampyre/human coexistence is the best thing. It could save us all."

Everyone was silent for a moment as we all absorbed this new information. Then Aphrodite spoke up. "Okay, do you want us to start this today?"

"Today is as good a day as any," she responded, shrugging.

"What will _you _do?" Kramisha asked.

"I will stay here and contact the television stations, asking for an appearance on TV. Kalona will go with me. We'll convince the humans that their decision to wage war on us was not rational, and that we're taking human professors. This shock will intrigue them enough that they will come to the bake sale." She looked determined, but at ease. We finally had a Plan, and it might even work.

"Okay. I'm going to take a shower. But before we all leave, I just want to lead us in prayer," I said. Everyone bowed their heads, as did I, after we all joined hands. "Goddess Nyx, you have lead us this far, but now we've grown to know your power, and we've embraced us. Don't let us stray from our paths. Keep us on your course, and whenever we look to you we will be looking to a wise, benevolent Goddess who we all love very much. Amen!"

"Amen!" everyone chorused, and I felt good for the first time in a long time, like there was another presence in the room, listening and watching us.

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_Stevie Rae_

"Is everyone ready to face the music?" Stevie Rae questioned.

Aphrodite snorted. "Hardly. Thanatos isn't a choir teacher."

"I kinda like that saying," Z said, grinning at her. "It's like _we're about to dance with Darkness._"

"Well, Darkness isn't exactly a Broadway dancer," Nicole pointed out. "It's badass, but in a bad way."

"Darkness is certainly a force to be reckoned with," Rephaim agreed softly. "I know from personal experience."

Kalona and Thanatos strode into the exit room. Thanatos had a cute little cup of Starbucks' coffee in her hand, with an awesome dress from Little Black Dress. Her hair shined as though she'd washed it, and redone it. It wasn't in its usual simple waterfall down her back; it was curled tightly, and looked actually very beautiful on her. "Let's get going," she said. "We have times that need to be made."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Aphrodite said, smiling. "This place looks like two versions of terrible. I can't wait to do some _renovating. _Or at least have someone else do some renovating."

"I agree," Shaylin agreed. "It's like Gotham City down here."

"Grandma just texted me and said she's at Street Cats," Zoey said.

"Okay," Thanatos replied. "Zoey, you and Stevie Rae and your Warriors may leave. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again."

"Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again," she and Stevie Rae repeated. Z turned around and looked awkwardly between Aurox and Stark, then threaded her fingers through Stark's and wrapped her arm around Aurox's shoulder, deciding on both of them. Stevie Rae knew she was torn between Aurox and Stark- to the point of pain. Personally, she wanted Zoey to choose Stark, just 'cause Z and her Warrior fit together like puzzle pieces. But she would've said Heath if Heath had still been alive. This was all really confusing.

She decided not to get involved in Zoey's business. That was something that the Fledgling High Priestess would have to handle on her own. She had her own problems to worry about- and one of those problems was learning how to be a proper High Priestess to her red fledgling family.

She knew she'd been chosen as the red vampyre High Priestess, but she also knew that she was the first. There had never been any other High Priestesses like her. She was original, as her mom would have said. What went along with that title was what she had to figure out.

She brushed the hair from her eyes as Rephaim threaded his fingers through hers. She hadn't completely forgotten he was there, but it had been so easy to get caught up in the pattern her thoughts had taken that it wasn't hard to let her mind drift. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothin' much," she sighed. "Just all this High Priestess stuff. It's kinda irritating."

"Well, you have me, of course." He grinned at her as they walked to Zoey's Bug. "I'm here for you."

"I know I have you," she reassured him, smiling back. "You're the only thing keepin' me sane."

"Sanity is valued around here," he agreed.

"Very." Stevie Rae climbed into the car and sat across from Stark and Rephaim, who was grinning in a very attractive way. It made her want to grin along with him. Just his presence could bring her mood up.

Zoey drove the car through the city, determined to reach their destination. They finally parked when they reached the parking lot of Street Cats. Stark looked pissed, as if he wanted to choke someone. Not Aurox- his anger couldn't be directed at Aurox; the two were friends. His anger seemed to be directed at Zoey.

They reached the inside of the building, and walked to the reception desk. "Hello," Z said. "Can we talk to Sister Mary Angela?"

"Right this way, please," the nun ordered in a commanding voice, standing up and turning around, her wimple almost jerking with the motion. Stevie Rae bit her lip to keep from laughing but followed the rest of the gang and the nun.

The nun led her down a long hallway full of cats, cats, and more cats. Stevie Rae thought she was going to be driven nuts. It wasn't that she didn't like cats, it was just that she was sick of seeing them everywhere. When they finally reached Sister Mary Angela's office, Stevie Rae thought she was going to gag.

They strode in with determined strides. Sister Mary Angela was sitting at her desk. She looked the same as Stevie Rae remembered her, maybe a little older than before. Her eyes still shone with the same kindness and wisdom as before. "Hello, Zoey Redbird," she breathed as they walked into the office. "Hello, Stark. Hello, Stevie Rae. And who is this?"

"I am Rephaim," he said softly. "I'm Stevie Rae's Consort. I was originally one of Kalona, the fallen angel's, sons, but I turned from him for her." He touched her face lovingly.

"Hello, Rephaim," she said, smiling at him and ignoring the fact that he'd just said he was previously a Raven Mocker.

Stevie Rae's eyes widened as Rephaim continued. "So you don't care that before I was a monster? That I took endless lives and didn't care about the result of that? That I raped and killed senselessly and purposelessly, just to please my father?"

Sister Mary Angela's face was the mask of calm when she continued. "I care nothing about your past sins. It's only what you can make of your life now that holds my interest. And, my dearest Rephaim, if you can turn from Darkness, surely you can make something of your life."

Rephaim smiled and nodded at her. "I can. And I will," he vowed.

"We will see." She smiled back. "I can see, Stevie Rae, that the boy does love you. Don't let him down. Now, what is it you have come to visit me for?"

"We actually came to see if Street Cats could visit our bake sale," Z said. "In a... rather unfortunate accident, the House of Night was burned down. Our new school is underground, in the old Prohibition tunnels. As an endorsement for the new school, we're having a bake sale and an open house. Our House of Night will be the first to allow human professors."

"That's wonderful," Sister Mary Angela breathed. "Humans and vampyres coexisting is what could save us all."

A chill rolled down Stevie Rae's spine. "What do you mean?" she asked, thinking that the words sounded reminiscent of what Thanatos had said earlier.

"You haven't seen the news? Citizens all over Oklahoma have been rioting, protesting. They _want _war with vampyres. They don't even want to consider coexistence. They just want the vampyres to be destroyed. It's as if someone is making them act this way." Sister Mary Angela's dark eyes found Zoey's. "You are still fighting the evil woman and her mate, are you not?"

"Well, the evil woman's name is Neferet, for one," Z said. "And we're not fighting her mate. He's not her mate anymore."

"He's chosen Light," Aurox said quietly. "He's on our side now. He's pledged to be the Sword Master of the House of Night and is Oathbound to our new High Priestess, Thanatos."

"Ah, it was her who called me and told me you were coming. I can sense that a lot has happened since I saw you last, Zoey," Sister Mary Angela said softly.

"Yes. More than we can go into," Z said. "But the bake sale actually could help us a lot. If humans see that vampyres _want _to coexist with them, maybe they'll stop their riots."

"Those tunnels are so old and dilapidated. I'm assuming you're remodeling them?"

"Yes," Aurox said quietly. "We are."

"And you are?" Sister Mary Angela raised an eyebrow.

"I'm Aurox," he said. "I'm Zoey's Consort."

"But aren't..." Sister Mary Angela looked at Zoey, then back at Aurox, then at Stark, then back to Zoey. "Ah, I see." She smiled, and winked at Zoey.

"We're gettin' a bunch of new stuff added to them, and improving the rooms we already have," Stevie Rae said. "The tunnels are huge, and they almost cover all of Tulsa- and more. We were looking at a floor plan and were thinking about separating the tunnels into two halves, one the dormitory and one the school."

"That isn't a bad idea," Sister Mary Angela agreed. "Hmm... You could hold the open house in your biggest room. That actually sounds nice. What presence do you want us to have there?"

"You've been our only charity, so you could be there to offer cats up for adoption," Z said. "Or to give out cards and other pet stuff."

"That's a good idea," Stark said, surprising everyone. "And you could have other varieties of pets too."

"That's certainly something to be considered," Sister Mary Angela agreed.

"Sister!" A voice from outside the door jarred them. It was familiar to Stevie Rae. As Sister Mary Angela's head nodded and the nun came in, she recognized Sister Bianca. The nun was holding a cat carrier with a pretty white cat inside. The cat was like the cat her dad had bought her when she was little- Fluffy. Stevie Rae instantly got a _feeling, _strong and clear. She stood and walked to the cat.

"New cat," Bianca explained. "We got her in a couple of minutes ago."

"Ohmygood_ness, _she's so pretty," Stevie Rae gushed as she petted the cat's fur. The cat rubbed its head against her fingers, and for once she liked it- liked it even better than when Nala petted her.

"Oh my Goddess!" Z ran to Stevie Rae. "Sister Bianca, what's that cat's name?"

"The cat hasn't a name," Sister Bianca said.

"I'm gonna call her Fluffy." Stevie Rae smiled.

"Well, Stevie Rae, I think Fluffy just chose you," Z said, grinning at her.

"Really? A cat chose me?" Stevie Rae blinked. She hadn't expected a cat to choose her, but there were a lot of unexpected things happening. Still, this felt so new to her, like something completely different and unexpected. She grinned. "A cat chose me!" she repeated.

"Well, if the cat has chosen you, I guess she is yours." Sister Bianca opened the cat carrier and placed Fluffy in Stevie Rae's arms.

"Aww, you're so cute," she cooed, scratching between her ears. "It's a she?"

"It is a she," Sister Bianca agreed.

"I'm so glad I have her!"

"I'm glad too." Stevie Rae met Zoey's eyes and they both smiled, for once feeling a piece of happiness that they could both hold on to for as long as they lived.

But it was only a fleeting moment.

_Kramisha_

Kramisha just could NOT get rid of Jordan, and she didn't really know how to react to that.

In some ways he intrigued her. Ever since she'd Imprinted with him, a practice that she'd kept mostly to herself, she'd found herself intrigued by his dark curly hair, those big, juicy lips, that muscular body, and that sexy smile. And of course the warm, Imprinted blood that ran through his veins. But there was a part of her that was extremely pissed off by him. And that part was growing larger, even though the other part was too in a way. It seemed like she just _kept running into him. _

It was obvious that Nyx had a plan for the boy. He would just randomly bump into her and tell her what the voices had said about him. And of course they'd been designated to clean their wing of the tunnels _together. _So not only was she scrubbing showers, knee-deep in Comet, but _he_ was only a room away from her, so she couldn't exactly hum her favorite song, which was "Lick Lick Lick" by Pleasure P.

She grinned as she looked down at her phone and restarted the song. Since she'd heard it on the radio this morning, it had been stuck in her head, so she'd downloaded it, and had had it on repeat ever since. It was just so catchy. It wasn't overly sexual, only if you wanted it to be. All in all, it was a tasteful song.

_And I just so happened to hear the damn song when I was in the car with him. _Kramisha had been going to look for decorations for the big bake sale, and Jordan, automatically assigned as her Warrior just because the two were so close, had gone with her. The kid had actually been kind of amusing. Until he'd accidentally called her a bitch, and they'd gotten into that big argument. Kramisha winced as she remembered the fury of his words.

But he'd sang along. Kramisha remembered that one of the sexiest things about him was his voice. It was like he became a different person when he sang. That _had _to be attractive.

So, of course there was this big, powerful, grown Poet Laureate inside her, who was telling her that her and Jordan were bound somehow. Even before she'd Imprinted with him, she'd felt some sort of connection to him, a connection that was beyond the norm. That girl was the one who was so intrigued by him and attracted to him. But then there was that other girl, who was just a normal little kid, who was really annoyed by the boy.

Sometimes she felt torn with herself. Part of her wanted to forget all her worries and kiss the boy. Part of her wanted to choke him until he was dead. But she knew that would hurt her. Later. Maybe. _Ugh. _

Kramisha finished the showers. They were sparkling clean now, and she could almost see her reflection in them. She grinned at herself. Her yellow hair had been dyed to a more neutral blonde type of color, and it fell in tight curls to her back. She looked pretty for-

_No! No way! _Had that thought really been about to come from her brain? She grimaced and bit her lip. She had to keep the woman in her under control.

But then again... why should she? If she was attracted to someone, why shouldn't she let herself like them?

This was all too much.

This was all increasingly becoming bullshit.

This was all making her head hurt.

This was all so... intriguing.

Kramisha turned from the bathroom, done with her task, turned around, walked out, and of course bumped right into Jordan. She didn't even jump- that was how used she was to running into him. "Goddess, watch where you going," she snapped.

"Sorry, lady." He smiled sexily at her. "I didn't see you there."

"I bet," she muttered, trying to contain herself. But he was just so attractive. He was pressed up against her- his ridiculous muscles were against her chest so tightly and yet, she wanted it to be tighter. His lips were only inches away from hers, and they were moving... so perfectly...

Kramisha didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know why her body wasn't screaming for her to stop this. But what she did know was the passion she was feeling. She did know how much she cared for Jordan, even if she didn't know him. She did know that they were bound and they were bound in ways she would never understand, and she did know that when you loved someone, you shouldn't ever hide that love- if it's real love.

So all she did was stop hiding it.

And she pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was so beautiful before it even started, so timed in her head. Everything was just right. It was short and sweet, their lips clicking right together like a puzzle piece. Everything was under control and okay- at first.

What neither of them was prepared for was her response.

Blood boiled hot and sweet through his body, and she moved her lips from his. Without even thinking about the consequences of her actions, she sank her teeth into his throat- hard. They were hard enough that they pierced the skin, leaving an angry red mark that wept blood. That blood satisfied her need, her longing. And so Kramisha drank from Jordan in an air of passion and confusion.

When she finally broke from him, she was gasping for air. Had the slutty hormones within her taken over for a second, or was she really losing grip over the vestiges of control within her? She gulped at the thought of being attracted to Jordan.

She was already halfway there.

"Kramisha," he whispered, making the moment even worse. "I feel somethin' between us, somethin' that we both know ain't normal. It's even more not normal than this Imprint. What in the hell is it?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "But I know it's weird. It's making me kiss you and I barely know you."

He grinned. "I'm not so sure that was it."

"Shut up!" she said, smiling and hitting him. "I don't _like _you, Jordan."

"If you didn't like me, why the fuck would you kiss me?"

He had a point.

"I don't know. I don't know shit around here," she admitted. "All I know is I want to kiss you again and you make me feel so hot and I like the feeling and part of me hates you and I don't know why."

"Part of me kinda hated you too at first," he said softly. The look in his eyes made her freeze with desire. "But then I stopped holding on to what could have been and just let myself feel what is. And this is what is."

It was at that moment that he pressed his lips to hers. This kiss was still brief and sweet, but it was more passionate. This time, she knotted her fingers in his air and pulled herself tighter to him. And when they parted, he grinned at her before walking away.

Kramisha stared after him for a long moment. "Shit," she muttered as she pulled out the poem she'd written last. She stared at it, then looked back in the direction he'd gone.

_He is yours, Prophetess_

_ He is your key, your savior_

_ Use his blood as a tool_

_ To ensure that your doom will not become. _

Kramisha didn't know what the poem meant, but she knew that Jordan was now a part of her life. She also knew that though she didn't know him, whatever connection they had was more than love. And the last thing she knew was that she was deeply and irredeemably in love with him.

As Zoey would say, _ah, hell._

XOXO,

Casey


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

_Erin_

Erin lay inches away from Dallas. The heat his body was radiating wasn't completely natural; it was also in part due to the electricity that shimmered around him like a mirror. The water that bubbled around her flowed nicely with the electricity, making lightning. The two of them were like lightning and they would always be together.

Erin had spent so long being shallow and deceitful, and she had come to realize that that was truly who she was. She was cold, and a bitch most of the time. She wasn't good. She was bad. She was _Dark. _And that was what she wanted to be, with Dallas. She knew they were connected in a way that went beyond anything she'd ever felt.

And she wanted that.

So when Dallas kissed her neck softly, sending chills of desire down her spine, and whispered in her ear: "Do you really want to do this?"

Erin whispered, "Yes."

_Aurox_

Aurox took a deep breath and stared into Zoey's eyes as he watched Stark hurry from the room. She stared after him so longingly, as if she wanted nothing more than to comfort him. Pain shot through him. He'd given up Darkness for her, and there was nothing more he wanted than her. And here she was, staring after another guy.

Aurox gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. It was senseless to get angry; Zoey was always going to feel how she felt, and there was no changing her feelings. She couldn't help the way she felt. He watched the sadness that pierced her beautiful brown eyes, and took a deep breath, rising to his feet. He channeled her sadness, but the delight he'd felt before when the bull was still within him was gone now—it was his sadness too. He was sad because she was sad.

"Is he okay?" Sister Mary Angela inquired, raising a silver eyebrow.

"I'll go check on him," Aurox said, surprising everyone, including himself. "He's probably just tired."

"Okay," Zoey said softly, though he got the feeling she was speaking more to herself than him.

He rose to his feet and hurried from the room, going straight in the direction Stark had gone. He found the Guardian at the end of the hallway, his head in his hands.

"Stark?" Aurox called softly.

Stark raised his head, and Aurox was immediately surprised to see that he was crying. Soundless tears were running down his face, and his eyes were slightly red. He wiped his eyes, embarrassed. "Uh—hey."

"Hey," he said, sitting beside Stark. "You okay, bud?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Stark replied, nodding. "It's just... Zoey."

"Zoey," Aurox sighed. "All of our problems revolve around that girl, don't they?"

"Amen to that," Stark agreed, smiling softly. "It seems like she's a danger magnet."

"I love her," Aurox admitted softly, looking away from him. "No matter how much danger she brings, I love her. That's what I signed up for when I gave up Darkness for her."

"Me, too," Stark said quietly. "I've always loved her. From the second I saw her, I knew there was something between us—something that wasn't exactly normal."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. That's kind of how I felt, the first time I saw Zoey."

"So what's it like... sharing a soul?" Stark's question surprised him. "Do you have Heath's thoughts and feelings?"

"Well, no. It's more like his feelings are my own. If I feel the same, the feelings are magnified. Heath was already in love with Zoey when I saw her, but I fell in love with her, which was what made it strong enough for me to be able to _not _attack her that night on Grandma's farm." He shivered, thinking back to the eagerness that had washed over him that night—the desire to do Neferet's building. He'd hated himself back then. "I was still Neferet's slave, as much as I denied it. She made me go follow the circle to Skye. I did, partly because she wanted me to, and partly because Heath wanted me to. And eventually, I fell in love with her. It was _my _falling in love with her that gave me the strength to choose Light over Darkness—love over hatred—good over bad." He smiled. "And I'm glad I made the choice. Even though I don't think it'll be me she chooses between the two of us."

Stark's eyes widened. "Really? I think it'll be you."

"No way," he insisted. "I see the way she looks at you."

"_I _see the way she looks at _you_," he said. "She's in love with you because she sees Heath in you."

"So you're telling me she was more in love with Heath than she is with you?"

Stark was quiet for a moment, sighing. Then he finally spoke. "Yes. When Zoey and Heath were together, there was a light in her eyes I didn't see when she was with me. It was like he completed her—they were two pieces of the puzzle, the last two. It was like they were meant to be together. When Heath died, it was like a puzzle piece was lost—and a half. Not only did the light fade from Zoey's eyes, it was like she was living half a life. When you came around, it was like she got the rest of her puzzle piece back. There's still one missing, but slowly, it's starting to come back." Stark shook his head in frustration. "I know she'll pick you because I know Z. She was barely strong enough to live without Heath. As a matter of fact, she wasn't—it shattered her. If I died, do you think it would've shattered her?"

Aurox didn't want to admit it, but he remembered the way Zoey had looked whenever someone brought up Heath—the almost instant sadness in her eyes. "No," he admitted softly. "I know she'd be hurt—extremely hurt. But I don't think it would shatter her."

"Exactly," he said. "And you're like half of what Heath was, plus the other half that's you. And Aurox, you're not a bad person at all. I see some of myself in you."

"Well, thanks, but I still don't think Zoey will choose me," Aurox said.

"And why is that?" Stark cried.

"Because." Aurox sat forward. "You know what Zoey told me a couple of nights ago? That if she wouldn't trade Heath for you if she could. She would keep you, because you're what she wants. You must not see what I see, Stark. There's more than light in her eyes when she's with you—there's light in her features, light in every part of you. She's just as in love with you as she is with me, and maybe more."

Stark's mouth hung open for a moment, and then he finally closed it, just staring at Aurox. He smiled. "You know, I like you. You have a temper, like Heath used to."

"I've been compared to Heath Luck several times. I am him," Aurox said, scratching his head. "Of course I act like him."

"You do," Stark agreed.

"You know," Aurox said, narrowing his eyes, "how you asked me if I can hear Heath's thoughts?" At Stark's nod he continued. "I can—in a sense. It's like I get a really strong feeling for or against something, and I can tell that it's him, giving me paranormal advice. He told me to talk to Zoey that first time, and he told me to give up Darkness for her. I don't actually hear words, but I get feelings."

"That's almost the same thing," Stark said.

"Yeah, I guess." Aurox shrugged. "I just know one thing—I'm almost certain Zo will choose you."

"What did you just call her?" Stark asked, his eyes shimmering with humor.

"Zo," he responded, confused.

"That's how I know she'll choose you." Stark rose to his feet. "No one _ever _calls her Zo, but you do and get away with it." When Aurox didn't say anything, Stark walked away, satisfied.

Aurox stared after the boy for a long moment. Then he finally rose to his feet and, taking a deep breath, followed him.

_Aphrodite_

The tunnels were coming along nicely. Aphrodite could suddenly see the beauty that had piqued Thanatos's interest the first time she'd entered the depot, the age and the tenor of the tunnels. There was something fitting about them, something beautiful and dark and romantic, something fitting of Nyx herself. She knew this place was perfect for a House of Night.

She stood in the hallway, watching Nisroc's and Shaunee's paintbrushes trace up and down the walls, painting the walls a nice, off-white color. "Needs a little more," Aphrodite commented.

"Shut up," Shaunee said.

"Nope, I don't think I will. I was just giving some friendly Prophetess, Goddess-given advice." Aphrodite snorted. "Not that you deserved it."

"She's sorry," Nisroc said, sending a _be quiet Shaunee _look to his mate. "She doesn't mean to be so irritable. It's just that Thanatos is really pushing us recently."

"She has to." Aphrodite looked at her well-manicured nails. "No elbow grease, no impressive _casa _for the humans to fuck up."

"If they're gonna fuck it up, what's the point of cleaning it up?" Shaunee muttered. "Just like when my mom used to make me clean up the house for her stupid-ass parties, just for people to come fuck it up. Fucktards."

"Fucktards?" Aphrodite giggled. "Did you seriously just say that?"

"Yeah." Shaunee's brows squiggled together. "You say it all the time."

"Yeah." Aphrodite flipped her hair. "That's 'cause I'm that _Prophetess _bitch and I'm allowed to. Y'know. I have certain rights that you guys don't."

"Stuck-up hoe," Shaunee muttered, but she was smiling, her eyes shining with humor.

"And once again I reflect on how much I like you un-Twinned," Aphrodite admitted.

"So I've been told," Shaunee said. "Multiple times. By multiple people."

"You could've at least thanked me," Aphrodite snapped.

Shaunee sucked air, probably to cuss her out, but before any more words could leave Fire Girl's mouth, Nicole strode into the room—and her eyes were red from crying, her hands balled into fists. Her whole body was shaking, and she looked pissed—immensely pissed, like someone had just killed her cat and tried to kill her in the process.

"Nicole?" Shaunee said softly, her voice surprisingly warm. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"No. Fuck no." Nicole glared at the ground. "Fuck him. I hope he dies."

"Who?" Aphrodite mused.

"Dallas." Nicole's words surprised her. "That cheating, scamming son-of-a-bitch was just out there making love to Erin Bates. I hate him."

"You were in love with him, weren't you?" Shaunee asked warmly.

Nicole hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I was. I thought I was, at least. He bought me gifts, and he took me places. And the sex—don't even get me started on the sex." She grinned sadly. "But then he started not coming home. I started getting worried, and I found out he was sleeping with another of the fledglings. His cheating on me was what made me realize how blind-sighted I was. I belonged on the side of Light, not Darkness. Then Nyx showed me the two things I should be in love with—horses and happiness." Nicole smiled, but this time there was no sadness in her eyes, and it was more genuine.

"But you _were _in love with him, which is what made you cry so very unattractively and run screaming away from the scene of the fucking," Aphrodite theorized.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, even if it's kind of a loose sum." Nicole squared her shoulders. "They love each other. It's not hard to see. So he can be with her if he wants. I really just don't care anymore."

"Aww, honey, we've gotta find you a guy." Shaunee stroked Nicole's hair. "You're pretty. It shouldn't be hard."

Shaunee was right. Aphrodite had to admit that since Nicole had joined Team Light, she'd looked a lot prettier. Some of the meanness that had marked her was now gone, and she wasn't a bitch anymore. Her hair, which had been short when Aphrodite had first seen her, was now longer, and came down nearly to the small of her back. It was darker, and Aphrodite wondered if she'd dyed it. Her filled-in, beautiful Mark branded her a Priestess of Nyx, the next chosen Horse Mistress, and the first of the red fledglings and vampyres.

"You shouldn't have any trouble." Aphrodite rolled her eyes and gave a shrug to look it like she didn't care, when she was really slyly trying to be nice. "You're not the ugliest thing out there."

"That's Aphrodite's way of agreeing with me," Shaunee said correctly.

"Well, thank you." Nicole locked eyes with Aphrodite for the first time since she'd come in the room, and Aphrodite was surprised by how much the girl suddenly looked like Lenobia—a much younger, darker-haired version of the Horse Mistress.

Aphrodite blinked, washing away the image, and the girl was just normal ole Nicole.

"Thank you guys," Nicole breathed, wiping her eyes. "Thanks so much. You helped me a lot."

"No prob." Shaunee shrugged, and from the sudden focus in her eyes Aphrodite could tell she was sending her element to Nicole, telling fire to warm the vampyre—strengthen her—calm her. And it was working. Nicole's body relaxed from its tensed stance, and she took a deep breath.

"I'm going to see what Thanatos wants—she texted me earlier. Bye, guys." Nicole nodded at them and hurried from the room.

"She's a decent girl," Nisroc muttered.

"I agree," Aphrodite noted. "She's not nearly as much of a bitch as she used to be."

"People can change," Shaunee muttered, looking away from Aphrodite, her eyes suddenly dark. What did she mean?

"Yeah," Aphrodite said. "They sure can."

_Shaunee_

After they were finally done painting, Aphrodite went to go find her Warrior, and twitched off somewhere, leaving Shaunee alone with Nisroc. She blushed as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"We have to walk," she breathed.

"We can't walk like this?" He kissed her hair softly. "Give me one good reason."

"I... We..." She couldn't. She was suddenly lost in the warmth that emanated from his body, and the nice way she fit into him that told her that her body was meant to be there.

"Exactly," he muttered. "You know you want me to touch you as much as I want you, Priestess of Fire."

He'd called her that since the first time almost all the time, barely calling her by her name unless he was really trying to be serious with her.

"I'm not the Priestess around here." Shaunee shrugged. "Zoey is. Stevie Rae is. Not me."

"But they're not here." She felt his breath on her neck, and shivered in pleasure. "So, with that being said..."

"Uhh," Shaunee rasped. She couldn't think anymore—the pleasure she was feeling was so ragged and new that she couldn't function correctly. She wanted him more than she'd wanted anything, and she was going to have him.

"There a closet around here somewhere?" he whispered.

"I... Yes... Right there." Shaunee's finger pointed weakly at the door that was there, slightly ajar. They walked toward it and inside, closing the door. All Shaunee could see was _him—_he was everywhere. The heat of his muscular body radiated onto him, and it was taking everything inside her not to kiss him. But wait. Why should she hold herself back? He was her boyfriend, her soul mate, her other half, so why shouldn't she give him what he wanted from her?

Her?

So before he could say anything, she pressed her lips to his, the fire of the kiss radiating around her. Before she knew it, they had both stripped down until they were naked, their bodies pure and clear. Shaunee felt fire explode through her, and she knew this heat was beyond the norm—it was her element, telling her how right this was. This was exactly what she needed, what she _wanted. _She was going to make love to Nisroc, right here, right now.

She closed her eyes as he went inside her, surrendering to his pleasure with a groan. She moaned as he began to thrust, his hips moving back and forth, back and forth until her eyes rolled back in pleasure.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered.

"Yes," she answered.

Nisroc didn't speak again after that, continuing where he'd left off, and Shaunee made love to him with all her heart and soul, the fire burning places that she thought they couldn't touch, but leaving her unscathed.

...

When they were done, Nisroc went to sleep. His snores were comforting, but not comforting enough for her to forget how pleasurable the sex had been. This was nothing she'd ever felt before, and she knew that for fact. She loved Nisroc, and she always would.

Shaunee rose to her feet, pulling her clothes on over her. It felt weird to be clothed again, after hours of making love. Her body almost felt sore. She stretched and shrugged as she opened the closet door, walking into the hallway—and ran right into Zoey.

"Zoey!" Shaunee gasped. "What are you—"

"Doing here?" Zoey's eyes were full of anger. "We've been _looking _for you this whole time, Shaunee. No one knew where you went. I'm assuming Nisroc is in there?"

Zoey's anger made her feel guilty. "I'm sorry, Z," Shaunee muttered. "I was..."

"Being intimate. I know." Some of Zoey's anger faded, and she smiled. "You're fine, Shaunee."

"Yeah." Zoey looked different—stressed. Her eyes were worn as if she were tired. "What's wrong, Z?"

"I'm just... tired." Z shrugged, and Shaunee recognized the Fledgling High Priestess's poker face.

"Tell me." Shaunee wasn't listening to Z's bullshit.

Z hesitated for a long moment, then took a deep breath, speaking as fast as she could, getting it out in a rush—"I looked through the Seer Stone at Stark and saw him trying to kill me and Darkness all around him and me dying by his hand and I passed out for like 20 minutes and everyone thought I was dead and I had this feeling that I needed to find you."

"Why did you need to find me?" Shaunee asked. "And Stark has kinda been playing for Team Dark recently."

"No, I don't think he's completely Dark. I think there's Darkness in him, and my soul being fractured awakened it. But I don't think he's gone over to Team Dark just yet." Zoey ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. "And I don't know. I think it has something to do with the Seer Stone."

"What about it?" Shaunee asked.

"I don't know. Take it." Zoey took the stone from around her neck and handed it to Shaunee. When she first grasped it, it was cold—unnaturally cold. Objects that didn't need to have any heat to them should be room temperature, and it was actually pretty hot in here. Shaunee held the stone for a second, and then it did something that changed the course of her life.

It got hot.

It shivered.

And it started to glow.

A brilliant orange light radiated from the stone. Shaunee stared at it, entranced. A voice whispered through her, a voice she knew from the second syllable was Nyx's—"_Look through the stone, Shaunee Cole."_

And so she did. The glow faded from the stone, and it was just a normal Seer Stone. Taking a deep breath, Shaunee raised the stone to her eye and looked through it at Zoey. The Fledgling High Priestess was staring at her, her eyes widened. At first all she saw was Zoey. Then everything around her changed, and a bunch of purple bubbles escaped from Z's nose. They flowed around her, trapping her within them, and she saw a vision. Zoey was standing outside of Mary's grotto, a brilliant, shining sword in her hand that Shaunee knew was the Sword of Guardians. The Guardian Sword glowed ethereally, almost shivering away from her. Zoey raised the sword above her head and charged at someone, though Shaunee couldn't see who Zoey was charging. The purple lights followed her, racing with excitement.

Suddenly, the scene went back to normal, and the Seer Stone fell to the ground, clanging against the tunnel's hard floor. Shaunee felt sick. She took a deep breath, bent over, and vomited, her whole body shivering.

Zoey held her hair as she puked up her guts. When she was finally done, she collapsed, falling to her knees but making sure she steered clear of the pile of vomit that was on the floor. "Ugh," she groaned. "Someone's going to have to mop that up."

"So what did you see? You just looked through it and then you started puking," Zoey said.

"Are you serious? You didn't see it glowing orange or hear that voice?" Shaunee gaped at her.

"No, it definitely never glowed. And the voice you heard—was it Nyx's?"

Shaunee nodded. "I could tell."

"So... Wow. You have a powerful affinity, Shaunee." Zoey helped her to her feet. "You can see through my Seer Stone, which means you can see old magick."

"Wow," she muttered quietly.

Zoey's eyes widened. "OhmyGoddess, I just thought about something."

"What?"

"Sgiach said only certain High Priestesses could see old magick."

Shaunee just stared at her for a moment before she caught up to Zoey's line of thinking, and gasped.

"Which makes me a High Priestess."

**It kinda took me a while to write this one, partly because I had writer's block and partly because I was sick, but I'm fine now. I've updated the story and I will continue to update to satiate your HoN needs. **

**Tell me what you thought!**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

_Kalona_

The fallen, usurped Warrior of Nyx stared at his palm. Before it had been cold and hard, Darkness flitting around it, willing to do his bidding, but now, it was soft and warm—the hand of a vampyre. Yes, Kalona was _still _a vampyre. If anything, his Mark had expanded some over the previous few days.

"Nyx's forgiveness in trade for _this_?" Kalona brushed his fingers along the sapphire line of his new Mark. "I would take vampyrism any day."

A sigh escaped him though, full of anger and irritation. He didn't really mind being a vampyre—now he fit more in with the fold of the fledglings and vampyres he lorded over, and if anything he was closer to them now—but it took him away from the power he'd once grasped, from the dominion.

And then Kalona finally realized it. He didn't need cold fire or power or anything to survive. All he needed was Nyx and the warmth of her love. So, with that thought, he brushed away the anger he felt and stared in the mirror at his Mark. Though it was not the first time he'd glanced at it, it still managed to send chills down his spine. The sapphire crescent moon in the center was adorned by what appeared to be swords, curved upward in a dangerous arc that was worthy of a Warrior of Death. Kalona shivered. The feeling running through his veins was one he had not felt, had not _tasted _in centuries. He felt pride. Pride to serve his Priestess... his Goddess.

"I will not let you down, Thanatos," he whispered quietly to himself. "Or you, Nyx." Saying her name sent a flood of warmth down his spine.

He took a deep breath and walked outside of he and Thanatos's bathroom, passing by their room and going out into the halls. They looked much merrier now, their walls shiny with new coats of paint, the floors waxed and chandeliers installed, now reminiscent of the House of Night's hallways. Kalona couldn't believe how quickly they'd spruced up the tunnels, even though they weren't finished decorating yet. It had only been a day, and everything in this wing was already so...new.

He walked into the depot, and gasped when he saw how it had been decorated. The walls had been painted a new coat, but you could still see the old writings and pictures, a mask of beauty from Prohibition. Kalona saw the point behind leaving the walls mostly blank. He knew they had wanted the history of the place to be a calming factor in getting humans to venture down there.

As soon as he exited the doors and made his way up into the city, he instantly felt better. Within the earth, he was weaker still, more humane. Even as a vampyre he felt tired quicker when he ventured into the tunnels. He knew the effect of A-ya's hold on him was so taxing that it had ripped wounds in his soul that would never truly heal, no matter what the form of his body was.

He stared up at the sky. It was dawn, the early morning. He knew everyone was fast asleep.

At first the sky was just the sky—it didn't change or move or anything. But then it glowed brilliantly. A circle of mist appeared in the air. Entranced, Kalona's mouth fell open as out of it stepped Nyx, the Goddess of vampyres.

"Nyx," he whispered.

Nyx floated forward, and their eyes met and held. "I have missed you."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Kalona couldn't believe it, but it was happening, so it had to be real. Their lips moved in perfect synchronization, and he was so happy. He'd wanted her for so long, and he finally had her. Nyx was his. Nyx. Nyx...

_Thanatos. _

And then Kalona broke the kiss. Guilt exploded through him. He loved Thanatos and he always would. He and Nyx had been apart for too long, and his old feelings for her had faded. He saw that now. He didn't want Nyx. He wanted to protect her, but he didn't want her.

Happiness exploded through him. He didn't want Nyx. For so long he'd lusted after her, wanting to find another Goddess to serve in her stead. He didn't want her—he had already found his true love in Thanatos. The realization of it was like magic, spreading across his body.

Erebus was suddenly standing beside Nyx. Kalona had forgotten that he had the ability to travel through daylight to different locations. "What are you doing here, Erebus?" he hissed.

"I am protecting my Goddess, as usual, Kalona," he replied stiffly. "Something you would not know much about."

"I have protected her since I turned back to Light, unbeknownst to you," Kalona shot back.

"You have not protected her as long as I have, brother," he said coolly. "I came here to observe, to see what exactly was going on at the Tulsa House of Night with a clearer eye, and I see now that you truly are back with us. But that doesn't mean I suddenly forgive you for your past sins."

"If you were a real man, you would," Kalona said quietly, not looking at him. "Nyx has."

_"Indeed I have," _Nyx said softly. _"Erebus, just because you love me and Kalona did too at one point, there is no reason to take such anger out on him." _

His heart leaped to hear the Goddess defending him, but not in the same way it had when he'd been in love with her. He was so glad to be through that face. For the longest time he'd felt like a slave—trapped by the foolish web of mortal love. And now he could finally get through that.

"Did?" Erebus raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that Kalona is no longer in love with you?"

_"Yes." _Nyx shrugged. _"I came here as a test to see if he was. I have proved my point."_

"If it was a point you needed to prove, it is relevant to me, love," Erebus said, smiling at her as he kissed her cheek.

She smiled, but the smile wasn't as full of happiness as Kalona believed she wanted it to be. The look that had been on her face when she'd kissed him...

Could Nyx actually be in love with _him_ now?

"Oh, and Kalona, one more thing before I leave," he said. "I have found some news about you recently."

Kalona raised an eyebrow.

"You know your father is the moon, and his brother is the sun, right?" Erebus said.

"Yes," Kalona replied, confused.

"Did you know the sun had a child?" Erebus opened his hand, and a yellow light billowed around the skin of his palm. Kalona gasped. It was sunlight.

"You?"

Erebus grinned, wrapping his arm around Nyx. "Yes, me, Kalona. When you tried to take Nyx from me, you tried to take a woman from _your brother." _

Erebus turned away, taking Nyx with him into the portal, who looked back at him wistfully, as though she wished she could follow. The two disappeared into the air, and Kalona felt hatred for that bastard Erebus, who he now knew was his blood brother.

_Aphrodite_

Aphrodite walked into her room of the tunnels. It was Day Two of operation time, and everything was coming along nicely. All the walls had been painted, unless there was some unknown sanctuary of the tunnels they didn't know about. All the floors on her half had been waxed, and the people they'd hired were waxing the other half now. The depot had been decorated, and the entrance had some pretty decorations too. Now all they had to do was make what were classrooms and what was the dormitory, and they'd be pretty much done.

Darius lay in bed, his muscular arms folded over his chest. Seeing him sent a prick of longing down her spine. She'd been really distant with him since the reveal ritual. The ride back had been silent, and after that everything had been... well, hell. This was really the first alone time they'd gotten in about three weeks. The sun shined into their room, even though it was only the end of February. The sun was starting to melt all this cold ice, and spring truly was coming.

Aphrodite tossed her hair back so that it all fell to her back, loosened the knot on her sexy little nightgown, and strode over to Darius. The closer she got to him, the sexier he looked. He was only wearing a muscle T-shirt, which illustrated his corded biceps. The sweatpants he had on as pajama pants were kinda small, which made his calf muscles look even bigger, which was surprisingly attractive. And his concentrated face as he stared at the book he was reading made it all even sexier.

She climbed into the bed. "Hey, Warrior."

He looked up, setting the book down as his eyes shined with humor and something else, something she didn't entirely recognize. "Hello, my beauty."

"Well, I was thinking, y'know, since we have some time alone today, we could get a little intimate." Aphrodite's fingers went for the lace on her nightgown.

Darius grinned. "Certainly."

Just as she was getting the strap, her body went limp, her head fell, and everything went black.

She was having a vision.

She suddenly wasn't _her _anymore; she was the Goddess, staring down at a battleground. Power itched through her fingers as she held the Quill Pen—the pen that had written all of Mortal prophesy and had the power to draw Marks on humans, making them vampyres. Aphrodite stared down at it, entranced. It had to be the most powerful thing known to man—and it wasn't exactly that known to man.

Aphrodite tilted the pen so that the bottom half was showing. It was like an eraser, and she knew that if you brushed the bottom half over a Mark, you could take it away, even though it was much easier for Nyx to have fledglings reject the Change.

_Why was she seeing this? _

Something in her whispered, _she has lost most of her immortality, Prophetess, but there still remains some within her. The only true way to make someone completely mortal is to remove their Mark. You must remove her mark. _

The Pen was in her hand, and Aphrodite remembered holding it tightly.

Her grip on it tightened even further.

She came out of the vision.

It was still in her hand.

"Aphrodite!" Darius cried. "Are you okay? What's this? Is it..." Darius's fingers brushed along the sides. "Is this the Quill Pen?" he whispered. "The Pen that has Marked vampyres for centuries by Nyx's hand? Why do you have it?"

"Nyx wants me to have it." She shrugged, realizing to her shock that her body felt normal, though her eyes were wet with tears she assumed were of blood. Her body didn't ache as it usually did, and her head was fine.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "It didn't hurt this time."

"That's good," Darius said, surprised. "I'm glad."

"Yeah..." Aphrodite's mind was racing. She had one of the most powerful objects ever.

She needed to talk to Zoey. Now.

_Shaylin_

Shaylin lay beside Erik, her body warm and safe and comfortable. They'd lay like this every night since the battle, keeping each other safe from Darkness's touch. It was so comforting and warm that Shaylin never wanted to leave.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said softly, playing with a strand of Erik's hair.

"Yes, ma'am," Erik said in an ol' boy Okie accent. "Y'know whatever ya want yer gonna get, hear?"

She laughed. "What's it like being a Tracker?"

"Well, sometimes it sucks." Erik's voice was thoughtful. "But sometimes it actually isn't that bad. Like when I Marked you, for instance. Or when I Marked Jordan. That kid actually isn't that bad, when you get to know him."

"What does his power even do?" Shaylin asked.

Erik laughed. "He can hear the Voice. You know this."

"Yeah, but how does it work?"

He tapped his chin, considering. "It's like your gift, only with voices. It tells him the truth about people, and that's actually really valuable."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "I didn't think my gift was worth shit until I started to be able to decipher it."

"What are Jordan's colors anyway?"

"They're yellow and silver with just a little orange. I think that means he's good. The silver means he's been touched by Nyx, obviously. Then the orange..." Shaylin thought. "I think it means he's been through some rough things in his life, which is why he acts out all the time. And the yellow has to be what's really good about him, which is on the borders of all the silver."

"This color shit is confusing," he said, rubbing his temples. "I so have a headache now."

"Me, too," she admitted. "I said I was good at deciphering it, not that it was any less confusing."

"Yeah. It would help if there was someone to do it for you, someone who's affinity was something like that."

"Actually, that would help. Then I would just have to see and that person could translate." She felt a little excitement at the prospect. "I hope we get someone like that."

"I have a feeling." Erik tapped right above his heart.

"Which is...?"

"I have a feeling that you and Jordan are connected somehow. Like you two were given substance for the same reason. And I have a feeling that Susan is a part of all this." Erik shrugged.

"You might be right about that," she admitted. "Susan's been MIA recently. Did she stay at the dorm?"

"Yeah, but she moved her stuff down here a couple hours ago. Apparently her dorm was right next to Erin's, and the sound of Erin and Dallas fucking was too much for her." Erik chortled.

Shaylin smiled. "Yeah. I know if I was her I'd feel the same."

"She's a nice kid. She seems a little immature for her age, but that's not uncommon around here," Erik said softly.

"Does Zoey even know her sister's been Marked?"

His eyes widened. "I don't think so."

"Someone has to tell her!" She smacked him. "You should have! She's your High Priestess."

"No, technically Thanatos is my High Priestess," he replied dryly. "And I did tell Thanatos."

"You know you should have told Zoey. There's no reason for you to hate her just 'cause she dumped you."

Erik's eyes were suddenly soft. "I don't hate her. Me and her... we just realized we weren't meant to be together. We're friends, I guess. But I don't talk to her much."

"Oh," Shaylin said, surprised. She'd expected Erik to lash out at Zoey, when instead he'd defended her.

"She's happy with Stark... and Aurox. I see that. I actually would rather her choose Aurox—Stark's way too controlling and quite frankly a dick. But that's not my bet to cash. I'm happy with you." He kissed her forehead.

"I'm happy with you, too," she said quietly, liking the way his kiss made her feel—the tingling feeling that had run through her was so amazing she could barely breathe.

"I love you," he said.

"As I love you," she said.

...

After Erik had fallen asleep, Shaylin snuck out of their room, moving quietly through the well-cleaned halls and into the kitchen. That room had pretty much remained the same, except the room over's wall had been opened to expand it, so it could now act as a dormitory kitchen. There was a large room in the center that they would use for the cafeteria. All the uninhabited rooms on the west half would be classrooms, while the other rooms would be dorm rooms. The front lobby would be where the open house was held. There was a room way in back that was where the library would be, and there was actually a room with a stage that was where the auditorium would be. The tunnel House of Night was actually coming together.

"Nyx, this is too easy," Shaylin muttered into her clear pop. "Please tell me we're gonna have some drama in the next few days. This easiness is getting kinda boring."

"Really?" The voice startled her, and Shaylin jumped. "You want _more _shit in your life? Seriously. Brain. Damaged."

"Jeesh, Aphrodite, you scared the shit out of me," Shaylin scolded as the Prophetess walked to the fridge, pulling a bottle of champagne from the bottom shelf and pouring a glass.

"Yeah, that was kinda the point," Aphrodite admitted as she sat down at the table, across from Shaylin. "What in the Goddess's name are you doing up this early?"

"Nothing. I couldn't sleep, and Erik fell asleep, so I decided to come in here."

"Erik." Aphrodite snorted. "What a dickhead. I'm glad you're enjoying your time with him."

"He's actually not that bad," Shaylin protested. "He was just a dickhead to you because he was still in I-Want-To-Be-The-Hottest-Fledgling-To-Walk-The-Face-Of-The-Earth mode when you dated him. Same with Zoey. Now that he's realized how much of a dick he was, he's actually really funny and sweet."

"He isn't _that _bad," Aphrodite admitted. "Nowhere near as horrid as he was when we broke up."

"Didn't you hate Zoey, too, though?"

Aphrodite stared down at her champagne. "I did. For a while. And then I realized it was pointless. I stopped giving a fuck. I shouldn't be wasting my time hating people. Hatred belongs to Darkness. Forgiveness belongs to Light. So that's what I did. I forgave and forgot." Her voice sounded so warm and kind that Shaylin's eyes widened. This definitely wasn't the ice queen _she _was used to.

"Well, that was wise," she said.

"I know."

Shaylin stared into Aphrodite, past her, and at her colors. They hadn't changed much, but the difference was noticeable now. Before they'd been silver and yellow, moonlight and sun. The yellow had been what was good in Aphrodite, and it had been very small. Now, the yellow was expanding and growing. Shaylin would swear she saw blue around the yellow, like an ocean—pushing it outward, expanding it—and knew beyond all doubt that that blue was the representation of her love for Nyx.

"You're getting yellow," she muttered.

"What?" Aphrodite sounded like her ice-queen self again when she spoke. "Fucktard, what in the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't call me a fucktard, you fucktard," Shaylin shot back. "And I was talking about your color. At first it was silver and yellow. It still is, but the yellow's growing bigger, and there's blue surrounding the yellow now."

"What does that mean? That I have to pee?" She was trying to have a devil-may-care attitude, but Shaylin could see the interest in her eyes.

"The silver represents your closeness to Nyx. The yellow represented how good you were, and it was small because you keep your kindness hidden deep down inside. Now, it's getting bigger and expanding around the silver. And the blue represents how much you care about Nyx."

"Yeah, I do care about Nyx," Aphrodite admitted. "A lot. And I answer only to her."

"Exactly," Shaylin agreed. "Have you ever thought about the possibility that you're really being a bitch?"

Her eyes narrowed. "So I've been told, fucktard."

"I told you not to call me that. Anyway, your bitchiness is affecting your gifts. How long has it been since you've had a vision?"

"I had one earlier," she admitted.

"Wow, really? You don't look like it. You actually look pretty for someone who just rolled out of bed."

"Thanks," she said, flipping her hair nonchalantly. "I know. I try. Anyway, I saw the Quill Pen in the vision. Nyx gave it to me." She reached into her nightgown pocket and pulled free a silver quill pen. It looked very old, but like it would never run out of ink.

"Okay, so you have an old=ass pen."

"Not just any pen, fucktard." Shaylin sighed at the name; she guessed it was her new nickname. But Aphrodite ignored her sigh and continued. "This is what Nyx used to Mark the first vampyre. This is what she uses to Mark all vampyres and fledglings. Even the red ones. And she can use it to take a Mark away. I was the first fledgling to have her Mark removed." She absently rubbed her forehead, where her Mark should have been.

"Wow, that's some powerful old magick," Shaylin admitted.

"Hell yes. Powerful enough to turn someone human. Maybe powerful enough to kill them."

Shaylin's eyes widened. "You're talking about Neferet."

"Yes," Aphrodite admitted. "We could remove her Mark and then kill her."

"But I thought Zoey removed her immortality when she stabbed her with the Elemental Sword."

Aphrodite stared down at her glass. "I don't think so. I think Neferet's still immortal—somewhat. And it's our job to take that away from her, and off her."

Shaylin shuddered at the harshness in Aphrodite's voice. "You mean Zoey's job."

"I'm not sure what Zoey's job is these days, fucktard," Aphrodite admitted. "First she was That Bitch High Priestess of everyone, even the red fledglings. Then Stevie Rae became an official Council High Priestess of the red fledglings, and most of them are our friends. And Thanatos took over as High Priestess of the House of Night. I'm not so sure where that leaves Zoey."

"I think she's still High Priestess," Shaylin admitted. "Nyx didn't give her all those gifts just for Thanatos and Stevie Rae to take her limelight. She's been Marked for a reason."

"Yeah, you're right." Aphrodite ran a hand through her hair tersely. "I just wish it was clearer what that reason is." She stared at Shaylin for a second, and then her eyes widened. "Reason."

"What?"

"Shaylin, what are Zoey's colors?"

"They're purple with flecks of silver, and blue edges," Shaylin said instantly, realizing it was the first time she'd called her Shaylin since she'd entered the room. "They've always been, since I met her. Not once have Zoey's colors changed, even though the blue wasn't there at first. They might have gotten a little brighter since she's returned from the Otherworld."

"I think that means that Zoey's chosen by Nyx, like the silver in me. She has purple flecks because spirit is her strongest affinity, even though she has affinities for the other four elements too. And the blue is something hidden—something mysterious—something we can't know until Zoey defeats Neferet," Aphrodite translated. "I have no fucking clue how I know that, but I do."

"Oracle." The word spilled from Shaylin's tongue, as she remembered hearing it a while ago. "You just acted as my Oracle."

Aphrodite looked scared and pretty and kinda pissed all in one. "I'm not a fucking Oracle, I'm a Prophetess."

"Oracles translate the meaning behind prophesy, don't they?" Aphrodite reluctantly nodded. "And my True Sight is kinda prophetic—it shows me stuff about people they'd rather keep hidden, which can give us insight into the future." She nodded again. "I think we're meant to work together. I read the colors—you decipher them."

"So that's what Thanatos meant," Aphrodite muttered.

"By what?" Shaylin asked.

"Just a few days ago, she told me I should use my gifts in other ways, if I wasn't seeing visions. This is what she meant." Aphrodite sat forward in her chair, determined. "And I know she was right because Nyx is telling me she was right, and I trust the Goddess with my life. She _is_ my life. I'm supposed to be your damn Oracle."

Shaylin grinned. This would be fun.

**Hey, guys! I updated today because today's Zoey's birthday, and I felt that maybe **_**we **_**deserve a present. It's also Christmas Eve, which is another reason why I updated. I may or may not update tomorrow, on Christmas. I'm not sure—I may be busy. **

**Have a safe and wonderful holiday, and keep looking out for my stories. **

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

_Zoey_

I stood in front of the stairs, gazing down at our work. It had been two days, and already everything had pretty much come together. The only thing we needed was the okay from the High Council, and we'd be ready to rock with our new House of Night—and start work on our open house.

Aurox sat on the stairs beside me, and I sat with him. Damien's laptop was in his lap. We were about to call the High Council to see if we had their approval to hold an open house/job fair thingie, as Stevie Rae might have called it.

I chewed my lip nervously as the dial tone sounded, signifying that our call was ringing. Finally, a Council member's face popped up onto the screen, and I leaned into it so they could see my face.

"Merry meet, Zoey," the Council member said, smiling. "Merry meet, Aurox."

It was Cleopatra, the woman who had helped the circle while I was—well—absent. I recognized her beautiful features somehow. I smiled at her. "Merry meet, High Priestess Cleopatra."

"Alas, I believe it is I who should be calling you the High Priestess. I assume you are well and whole again?"

I nodded. "I'm fine."

"And you, Aurox?"

Aurox nodded, smiling at her as he wrapped an arm around me. "I'm fine too."

Another Council member appeared beside her. I recognized her, but I didn't remember hearing her name anywhere. "I am Alithea, or Truth," she said.

"Truth," I said. "Merry meet."

"Merry meet, Zoey Redbird, fledgling High Priestess of the five elements." Alithea nodded at me as if confirming something in her mind. "Nyx becomes you."

They must've read the confusion on my face, because Cleopatra said, "It means the Goddess is in you."

"I have a question," Aurox blurted suddenly.

"Yes, dearest Aurox?" Cleopatra raised her eyebrows.

"I... I attended the House of Night in Neferet's service, and when I joined the side of Light I didn't go to school much. I was wondering if I have your blessing to attend Nyx's school. I won't if you don't want me to." Aurox held his breath, looking cute and worried, and I knew he was probably thinking about how just a few weeks ago, he'd been Darkness's Consort's Vessel, and he'd been utterly, completely evil.

"You have our blessing." Cleopatra smiled, and Aurox's face relaxed as he took a deep breath. "Aurox, I do not look at past sins. I only focus on the present and what could come in the future. And since you are Light, and I assume you will remain on the path of Light in the near future, I will not punish you for things that were out of your hands. You say Neferet had to sacrifice to Darkness to control you, did she not?"

"She did," Aurox answered. "She couldn't control me directly. She killed Anastasia and Dragon's cats so I could attack Rephaim and kill him." I had almost forgotten about that. Last night, when scouring the remains of the House of Night, we'd found the bodies of the two cats, twined together as if they'd died together. Thinking about it made my heart ache, and long for Nala. I knew she was with Stevie Rae, who was still trying to take care of her _own _cat.

"And did you kill Rephaim?" Cleopatra knew Rephaim was alive, but she was still asking the question curiously, as if to see what Aurox's response would be.

"No," he admitted.

"Exactly. Even when you were Neferet's to command, you had control over your own spirit. And you have free choice, as any child of Light does—any child of Nyx."

"Yes," he said reluctantly.

"Exactly," Cleopatra said, smiling at him. "So, since you are on the side of Light and of Nyx, and clearly touched by her magick, you may attend her school as would any other fledgling or vampyre."

"Really?" Aurox's eyes lit up. "You really think Nyx has touched me?"

"Of course, child." Cleopatra's smile grew. "Nyx's fingerprint is all over you."

"High Priestess Cleopatra, I don't mean to interrupt, but I have a question," I asked politely.

Cleopatra's eyebrows rose, clearing me to speak.

"What should I do?" The question was forced—I didn't mean to say it, but it came out. It was as if someone had taken over my body for a second and forced me to say the words. "I'm so lost. I don't even know what Nyx has chosen me for. And I don't know what to do about..." I didn't finish, but my eyes flitted to Aurox and away, and I knew Cleopatra knew what I meant.

"Zoey." Cleopatra's voice was so soft my mouth fell open. "I can see as plainly as anyone with eyes how close you are to Nyx—closer than any other fledgling or vampyre in the history of fledglings and vampyres. You can look yourself. Use your Seer Stone. Have you not been gifted with a powerful stone that can be used to glimpse old magick by an Ace of the stuff?" I nodded and she continued. "Exactly. Gifts are not given just to be given. Use it. No one but Nyx knows exactly what your destiny is, and you will not know that until your darkest hour is upon you. When that is is something only your heart, and the power of the Goddess, can tell you. Zoey Redbird, as Neferet's chaos draws nearer to the House of Night, your darkest hour is approaching fast. And you must be ready to battle Darkness with all you have."

Cleopatra's words rang with truth, and they made my throat dry with the usual fear. But it wasn't as bad as before. Now, there was an irritation along with it, as if my body was sick of being scared and ready for some action.

And that was when I knew.

I was a High Priestess. I'd been chosen by Nyx, Goddess of all fledglings and vampyres. Me. Sure, I was only seventeen. Sure, I was considered a kid. Sure, I sucked at geometry and physics, but Nyx had chosen me for something that was bigger than me, bigger than us all. In that moment, I finally realized what my fatal flaw was: perfection. I'd always been given everything, and I'd assumed everything would come to me easy. I'd been perfect—loved by all, respected by all, and trusted by all. So many guys had fallen in love with me, it was hard to count. Because of that, I was spoiled by how perfect my life went. The thing with Neferet wasn't as bad as it could have been, and I had five powerful affinities to defeat her with. It was time to stop being so perfect and finally accept my destiny.

I blinked, my eyes suddenly wet with tears, and nodded at Cleopatra. "Okay. Thank you, High Priestess."

"You are welcome, Zoey." Cleopatra smiled. "Do not think you're alone in your quest. You have many friends and partners to help you through this."

"Thank you," I breathed. "Now, another question. Queen Sgiach told me that my Seer Stone only worked for certain High Priestesses. My friend Shaunee—the fire in my circle—isn't a High Priestess, but yesterday she glimpsed something through the stone. Does that make her a High Priestess?"

Cleopatra was silent for a moment, her eyes thoughtful. "That is completely up to Nyx. If Nyx wants the child to be a High Priestess, so she will be. Do _you _believe she needs to be made a High Priestess?"

The feeling in my gut was impossible to ignore. "No," I said quietly. "But I think she does need to be made the Priestess of her element. Cleopatra, has there ever before been a High Priestess of the elements?"

"No," Cleopatra answered, her eyes wide with surprise. "I've never seen such a thing."

"Shaunee should be the Priestess of Fire," I told her. "That is what Nyx wants. I can feel it."

"Well, that is what Nyx shall have." Cleopatra turned toward the other Council members, who gave nods and smiled. "Your Shaunee is now High Priestess of the element fire."

"Give dearest Shaunee our best wishes," Alithea said softly.

"Now, we must tell you something," Cleopatra said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We will be coming to Tulsa tonight, in preparation of the bake sale," Alithea said, to my surprise. "We will also be there to negotiate with the human Council to try to convince them to call off the People of Faith. Soon, Congress will become involved, and this will become a full-out war. That is not what we want to happen, so we need to stamp it out while we can."

"We hear Thanatos has opened the House of Night for human professors," Cleopatra said.

"Yes, she has," Aurox answered. "She's taking applications for humans in the drama and literature departments. The mundane classes."

"Yes, very smart," Alithea agreed. "Perhaps this will lessen the unease of humans toward vampyres to know that their own kind is working within the vampyre fold."

"Exactly," I agreed. "That's what Thanatos wants."

"She is a powerful vampyre, as well as a smart one," Cleopatra praised.

"Yeah, even though she can be scary sometimes," Aurox muttered under his breath.

Alithea grinned. "Often those touched by Nyx can bring about fear in others."

"Yeah," I said. "I remember the first time I met Thanatos. She scared me back then. Still does."

"Duantia kind of scared me," Aurox said softly.

Cleopatra's face went dark. "Her body was covered with Darkness when we found it, as was Aether's. They will be having a combined funeral ritual in a few minutes, that only Council members and high-up vampyres can attend."

"I wish we could be there," I said softly.

"It's fine." Alithea's eyes were full of tears. "I will go prepare myself." She turned from the camera.

"I must do the same." Cleopatra smiled sadly at us. "Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again, Zoey. I ask that you blessed be."

"Blessed be," I muttered, but she was already gone. The computer screen went blank.

I turned my eyes to Aurox's. "Gah, I'm tired already," I sighed. "It seems like we've been up all day..." I yawned. It was true. The sun was rising, signifying that it was our bedtime.

Aurox took my hand and led me through the polished hallways back to our room. He unlocked our door (our lock had been purchased the other night) and was just turning the lock when a voice spoke behind us from the dark.

"Hey, there."

I jumped, my heart pounding against my chest. When my heartbeat finally settled I scolded him. "Jeesh, Stark! Don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I came to ask a favor." Stark smiled sadly at me. "Milady, would you do me the honor of inviting me into your bed tonight?"

"Stark, I..." Surprise flitted through me. "I don't..."

"You need to test it." Aurox's eyes were sad. "You've slept with me every night since we got back from the Otherworld. Give it a try, Zo. Please. For me."

I stared at Stark and sighed, letting him wrap his arms around me. I was surprised by how warm his touch felt—how familiar his arms were around mine. It wasn't discomforting at all.

"I'll leave now." Aurox turned and hurried from the room, leaving me feeling guilty, yet warm and cozy in Stark's arms.

"I shouldn't let him leave," I said softly.

"Yes, you should." Stark's face was almost alien. His eyes were darker than I remembered, a hungry desire filling them. It was almost like I was a piece of cake, and he wanted to demolish me with his teeth. The look sent chills up and down my spine.

"Stark... I..." This wasn't the Stark I loved, the Stark who had faced an ancient immortal in battle for me, the Stark who had let himself be nearly cut in half so I could return, the Stark who's love had healed my soul. This was a different Stark.

A Dark Stark.

"Stark." I tried to keep my voice nonchalant, despite the cold fear that was running up and down my spine. "This feels...wrong."

"So now it feels wrong for you to be with me?" Stark's eyes were angry now, and he looked much more like himself. "Zoey, you used to moan my name even when my dick wasn't inside you. Please."

Anger vibrated through me. "Stark, you're _being _a dick right now. Get the hell off me."

Stark jerked back, as if he'd been shocked. Suddenly he looked like normal Stark again. "Zoey, I'm sorry. I... I don't know what came over me. I love you, and you know I love you. It just pisses me off that I'm holding you right now, and you're telling me things about _him_."

"I'm so sorry, Stark. I just... don't... I can't help it. The way I feel about him is so familiar, so warm, so..."

"So Heath," Stark finished.

"Exactly."

"But I love you, too, and I honestly don't know which one of you I want to be with." I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "It's so hard to just _choose—_to be with one and let the other one go."

"Maybe you're not supposed to choose one." Stark's response surprised me. "Maybe you're meant to be with both of us."

"But I can't do that." I sighed. "I can't love one, knowing the other one is hurting. But I can't leave one to go be with the other one either."

"Yes you can." Stark's eyes were hard. "You have to be strong, Zoey. If you're not strong enough to choose one of us, maybe you'll be strong enough to live with both of us, but either way, you have to make a decision, and soon."

"Thank you," I said, surprised at how much better his words had made me feel.

"Now can we _please _stop talking about this and have some skin-to-skin time?" Stark grinned that cocky, sexy grin I was used to, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Sure, Stark." I grinned back.

He led me into the dark room, his hands' warmth enveloping me as they led me to the bed. Stark's cautious hands traced my clothes, ripping them away from my body as carelessly as if he was ripping through paper. Stark knew he could be strong with me, yet he had to be careful—he didn't know how much of this I would like, being that it was our first time in what felt like ages. But I didn't care. I wanted the smoothness of his skin, the wetness of his tongue against my breasts, the love that he exuded from every moan and lick. I wanted this—wanted him—more fiercely than I'd realized.

And so I made love to James Stark from the time the sun went up until it went down, and not once did I think about Aurox.

_Neferet_

The darkness parted from around the High Priestess's eyes, and she opened them. No longer was she standing before the Mayo; now, she was standing in the center of a beautiful field. Her dress, once ripped and tattered, had been renewed as if it had been healed, and was back as it had been before Darkness had stolen her. Her hair flowed, long and auburn, down to her back in silky waves, and her eyes were as clear as glass, though their clear exterior didn't even begin to match the storm that was raging in her heart.

She stared at the teepee that was before her. She remembered the city; she'd been here before. It was Tahlequah, the city of the Cherokee and also, the Tsi Sgili. For the first time, the words _Tsi Sgili _sent chills down her spine.

She knew she was truly on the side of Light now, so she couldn't master Darkness anymore. How would she masquerade as an evil Tsi Sgili when Darkness wouldn't even follow her commands?

She couldn't think such blasphemous thoughts now, not when the white bull was clearly listening. She took a deep breath and walked into the teepee. The smell of incense and alcohol hit her strong, as if black magick was being performed. There was a dark circle drawn in the grass, and a circle of women were sitting inside the circle of magick. Neferet's bare feet sizzled as she stepped through the line, but she ignored the pain—she was used to such cold fire.

"I am your Queen!" Her voice echoed against the circle, causing all the womens' heads to whip up, their eyes wary with fear. "I am a vampyre Tsi Sgili, the first vampyre Tsi Sgili ever, and the Queen your prophesy has aforementioned. I am your Queen, and I am here to give you an order."

"What is your order, my Queen?" The woman who spoke was beautiful. Her long, dark hair fell in waves to her shoulders, and her scarlet tattoos laced along her arms. Neferet knew the woman had not been born with the magick of the Tsi Sgili in her; she'd given it to herself. Perhaps that was what the ritual they were performing now was.

"I need you to assist me. In the coming days, Light will stand ready for us to battle it. We need all the help we can get, as some of Nyx's most powerful allies stand in the wings, and we need to destroy them and her." The words almost burned in her mouth, but she ignored the taste. "Help me, children."

"Of course, my Queen," another, younger-looking woman said softly. Her eyes were darker than the first, but there was something about the shape of her face that made Neferet firmly believe that the two were related somehow.

"I thank you." Neferet closed her eyes and let the Dark power the white bull was sending her wash over her, but didn't let it reach her blood—where it would have the impact. She sent it to the Tsi Sgili—strengthening them. She knew that it would be her who had to defeat them; even on the side of Light, she was still their queen.

Finally she had a plan. She was going to thwart Darkness, whether he liked it or not.

Neferet smiled.

**I'm back, guys! Happy New Year, by the way. I can't believe it's almost 2013—it doesn't feel like it at all. Anyway, I just **_**had **_**to update BATTLED—the last time this year! Lol, yeah, this will be the last time I update BATTLED in 2012. **

**Coming in 2013, there's a lot of new stories, new chapters, and new surprises. I'm happy to announce that I'm getting a new house soon, so I'll be writing to you from there. My sister's baby was born last night—his name's Joey and he's really cute already—so when he gets out the hospital, I may be watching him. As for my stories—I will try to update as many as I can before 2013. Also, can you guys go review my new story MOONLIGHT? It's a Twilight BD sequel, and it needs some love.**

**Thanks for the continued support, guys. Love you. **

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

_Susan_

"So, Zoey's here?" Susan's voice wavered as Erik led her through the tight-woven tunnels. It was the first time she'd been down here, and it was super-creepy. As cleaned-up as they looked, there was something about them that definitely turned her off.

"She's here," Erik confirmed. The dude was seriously cute. His hair fell in locks to his forehead, and his blue eyes were sexily darting everywhere. His chest was muscular, and she could see the corded definition even through his button-up Lacoste shirt.

"Where is she?" Susan stared down the hallway. She could see what looked like a kitchen. Sitting at the table were a group of fledglings and vampyres. To her surprise, Zoey was sitting at the head of the table, and they were talking—something about a bake sale. The sight of her sister sent a pang of relief and something else through her. What was it—anger?

She ran into the kitchen, stomping towards Zoey. Their eyes met, and hers widened.

"Susan?!" Zoey cried, standing up, her face a sallow color. "What are you doing here? And... Marked?"

"I was Marked a few days ago, actually," she admitted. "Erik here Marked me." She gestured to Erik, who smiled sheepishly at Zoey. "I stayed with Lenobia the first few days, and then I decided to come here."

"How... Why would Nyx..." Zoey looked more like _I don't want to see you _than_ I'm glad to see you, _which really pissed Susan off. Zoey had always been the perfect one in the family. Her grades had been good. She'd gotten the boyfriends—well, boyfriend, since Heath had really been the only guy she'd dated, and Mom had approved of him. Her and Mom had always been together, well, until the Step-loser had come around. She'd always been so damn perfect. And here she was, the leader of all these fledglings and even vampyres. It was clear she was their leader.

For the first time, Susan looked at Zoey and really _saw _her. She saw her brilliant sapphire tattoos, extending past her face, along her hands, though it was clear she was a fledgling. "Why so many Marks?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"I was chosen by Nyx for a destiny I still don't understand," Zoey said softly. "That explains why I'm here. But why are you?"

"Look, Zoey, you don't have to be such a bitch about me being here," Susan snapped. "I understand you don't want to see me, but you're really starting to piss me off."

"Shut up, Susan," Zoey said. She didn't raise her voice, but the tone of her voice was so cold that Susan had to resist the strong urge to cringe away from her. "You're a spoiled slut who gets everything she wants. Get away from me. I don't want to see you."

"_I'm _a spoiled slut?" Susan's voice was hard, and she didn't mean to say the words. She was going deep, back into the years of their childhood, her pent-up anger at her sister finally coming out. "You little bitch. Don't think I haven't heard about you. I'm a spoiled slut, but you're that bitch High Priestess who has some big affinities for the five elements and is the Leader of the Dark Daughters, and Nyx's Chosen One, with friends—oh, sorry, I mean slaves who do everything you say and more. And don't get me started on the slut part of that sentence." Susan's eyes blurred with angry tears. "You fucking dated everything with a dick that doesn't _like _dick in this school, Zoey. I've heard about you. First Heath. Then Erik. Then Loren Blake. Then Kalona. Then Stark. And now this Aurox dude? But _I'm _the slut. You're a spoiled, selfish brat who doesn't deserve any of the gifts she's been given, let alone any of the respect she gets for them. And I hope Nyx finds a real, _worthy _High Priestess to do her dirty work." Susan spun around and hurried from the room, her fingers clenched into tight fists.

She wanted to hit Zoey—to beat her sister senseless.

She wanted to slap some sense into her—how _dare _she call Susan a slut?

She wanted to choke her for being so mean. How did those friends of hers even _like _her?

She took a deep breath, stepping outside. The sun was still shining, but it felt almost comforting against her skin, the warmth an amazing contrast to the cold down in the tunnels. She couldn't be a normal fledgling. Normal fledglings were supposed to be burned by sunlight.

Susan stared up at the orange disk in the sky, watching as it continued to leave and give the moon its spot. She didn't pay any mind to the tears running down her cheeks. Inside, she was just an eight year old girl, staring at Zoey and smiling at her as the two played in the year. She missed what her sister had been before she'd been Marked. Any time before this.

Anything but this.

_Zoey_

I stared after Susan for a long moment, my eyes and mouth wide with shock. The words she'd attacked me with were like whips, each one directly aimed at my heart. The verbal blows she'd delivered had been more potent than any physical blows. After a long moment, I felt Stevie Rae's fingers looped through one of my hands, and Aurox's looped through the other. I sniffled, and realized I was crying, and Kleenex was rubbing against my nose. It was Shaunee's hand, wiping my nose.

"Thank you guys," I whispered softly. "Thank you so much. You don't understand how much this means to me."

"You're welcome," Aurox said softly, stroking my hair with his free hand. He smiled at me, and in that moment I was lost in his love—forever locked in his passive trust—commitment—adoration. That gave me the strength I needed to take a deep breath, wipe my eyes, and stare out at my friends. Recently I'd been realizing what a cold, stark-raving bitch I could be to them.

"Guys... Susan was kinda right." I held my hand up to stop their protests. "I can be mean to you guys sometimes, and I can force you to do things that you may not want to do. I'm so sorry."

"Zoey." Shaunee's voice was so soft and warm that I looked at her in surprise. "You're a High Priestess. Thanatos is a High Priestess. Is she mean to us sometimes?"

"Yeah," I said, confused.

"And does she make us do things that we don't want to do?"

"Yeah."

"Exactly. You're our High Priestess. It's your job to be kinda mean and bitchy sometimes." Shaunee grinned. "Zoey, your sister was wrong. She hasn't seen the side of you that I've seen. I see that Nyx has really touched you. I see an innocent, nice girl who doesn't really understand the gifts she's been given, with a bunch of friends willing to help her and guide her through the path she has to walk. Obviously she didn't see what I see."

"Really?" I whispered.

Stevie Rae, Aurox, Aphrodite, Darius, Shaylin and Rephaim all nodded, the looks in their eyes bringing tears to my own. Stevie Rae brushed the tears from my eyes, smiling at me.

"See?" Aurox said. "Your friends care about you just as much as you care about them. You're not a bitch, Zoey. Trust me."

I sighed. "Okay. Thank you guys. That was all I needed to hear."

"Okay, now can we get back to the bake sale discussion?" Aphrodite said.

"Yeah," Stevie Rae said. "The place is mostly ready to become a House of Night and have a bunch of humans in it. The problem is, where are we going to host this bake sale?"

"The lobby?" Darius suggested. "I'm sure it's big enough to fit all those humans."

"No," I disagreed. "How about the library?"

"No," Shaunee said. "That's too small too. What about..." She tapped her chin in consideration. "What about the cafeteria?"

"I think it might be big enough," Aphrodite admitted.

"Yeah, I agree," Stevie Rae said.

"Me, too," Shaylin agreed.

I realized that my Council had ruled. They'd decided what was best for us—for all of us—and I realized I liked it. I smiled. "Cafeteria it is."

"Okay," Aphrodite said. "We need to put up signs that point to it. It's not very far from here, but it is a ways away."

"Aphrodite's right," Shaylin said. "You know how humans are. They'll get lost. The best thing to do is show them the way beforehand, so there's no confusion."

"Alright," I said. "I'll text Thanatos and let her know." My mind was racing. We had a plan. Finally, we had a plan. We were gonna blow Neferet out of the water. Though her body had melted to Darkness last time I'd seen her, I was certain she wasn't dead—with one of those gut feelings I annually received from Nyx. If we could convince the human public that we didn't want war, we could stop Neferet's plan before it got to its worst legs.

"Nyx, I ask that you gift us in whatever your plan for us is," I said simply. "Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again, my Goddess. Blessed be."

"Blessed be!" everyone chorused.

_Shaunee_

"Hey, aren't we forgetting one small detail?" Shaunee said as it came to her mind. "Damien died a few days ago."

Zoey's eyes darkened. "I remember."

"Don't we need to have a funeral pyre for him?" Shaunee couldn't believe they'd actually forgotten to light a pyre for Damien. Some friends they were. Guilt rocked through her.

"Yeah, we do." Zoey took a deep breath and rose to her feet. "We can do that tonight, actually."

"Where?" Stevie Rae's eyes were brimming with tears. "I don't wanna go back to that House of Night. There's too much Darkness there—too much death—too much pain."

"It's where he died," Aurox defended. "It's only right that his pyre be lit there."

"Aurox is right," Darius said, surprising Shaunee. "We need to go to the House of Night."

"Okay," Zoey sighed, rising to her feet. "Darius, can you get the bus ready?"

"Yes, Priestess." Darius stood, walking out of the kitchen, and Aphrodite followed him.

"Everyone get their things on. We're going to light a funeral pyre."

...

After Zoey got all the red fledglings and a select few of blue together, they all climbed onto the bus. It was packed, and Shaunee barely fit into the seat with Nisroc and Rephaim. Stevie Rae was sitting with Zoey and Aurox up in front somewhere. Aphrodite was sitting with Shaylin, and the two had been lucky enough to only be two-to-a-seat. Everyone else had three-to-a-seat. Surprisingly and humorously enough, Kramisha was sitting next to Jordan. She looked irritated about the whole prospect. Shaunee pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

She remembered that it was Damien's funeral pyre they were headed to and closed her lips, her previous sadness returning. One of her best friends had died, and she was going to have to use her element to burn his shroud. She blinked back tears.

When they finally reached the House of Night, everyone climbed off the bus in silence, in sadness at what they were about to do. To their surprise, Damien's body was already shrouded, in a brilliant blue shroud that made Shaunee's eyes tear up. Blue had been his favorite color. She knew this was going to be sad. She took a deep breath and brought Nyx's powers of healing to her—strengthening her—calming her.

They walked toward where the shroud was. Lenobia and Travis stood beside it calmly. Lenobia wore a dress; her long, white hair fell to her shoulders and she looked like a benevolent goddess. Travis had on a button up and jeans but still looked handsome. They both nodded to Zoey, signaling that they were ready.

Zoey took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stood right in front of the pyre. Everyone dispersed, and stood in a circle around her. Zoey's shoulders were squared, and there was no fear in her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she looked like a true High Priestess—a younger, nicer version of Thanatos. "The death that has been committed is tragic. Damien Maslin, a fledgling who was part of my circle and the element air, has been killed in cold blood. The humans who did this are returning soon, to try to finish the rest of us off." Zoey's voice was majestic and calm. The purple power of spirit swirled around her, soothing her and the rest of them as she continued her speech. "I, and the rest of my circle, will miss Damien dearly, and we will continue to hold him in our hearts." Z smiled. "I remember when I first met Damien, and he used to use his _prodigious _vocabulary on me." Tears were forming in her eyes.

"Everything was so big," Stevie Rae muttered, and everybody laughed.

"I'll miss him," Aphrodite muttered, causing Shaunee's mouth to fall open in shock. Everybody stared at Aphrodite. She looked like her normal ice-queen self, but there was something in her eyes... something that looked different than usual.

"So will I," Darius admitted. "He will be honored."

"Nyx. I love you, and it was through you that I was given this beautiful power. So now, I would like to use it. Spirit, soothe the hearts and souls of all the fledglings touched by Damien's death. I would ask that with us you will blessed be, Nyx. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again!" Zoey looked toward Shaunee, who extended her fingers. Fire flickered from her palm, cascading toward the pyre. Damien's body burst into flames, but instead of the sight being sad, it was strangely comforting.

Shaunee smiled through her tears. She knew she would miss Damien. But somehow, deep in her soul, she knew that now, he was finally, truly at peace.

_Stark_

Stark walked away from the shattered tree, blinking back tears. He'd watched the entire funeral ritual, and it had touched him on a level he didn't understand. He hadn't been that close with Damien. But they had shared Duchess. Now, the dog was his once again. He was going to have to do right by her.

Stark took a deep breath, facing the moon. Nyx's symbol seemed to stare down at him, its power radiating through the soles of his feet, though it didn't affect him the way it used to. Nothing affected him the way it used to, since he'd been Imprinted to Terri.

"Are you okay?"

Stark jumped. "Goddess, you scared the shit out of me, Terri!"

"I'm pretty sure it's bad to say 'Goddess' and 'shit' in the same sentence," Terri snickered. She looked cute. His lips turned up in an appraising grin when he saw the tight leggings she had on, that hugged her ass. Her hair was done, too. Darkness shivered around her as potently as ever, but somehow he didn't really notice it as much—the Dark threads weren't that bad.

"Stark... I haven't been fed in a couple of days." She played with a strand of hair absently, her eyes on her shoes. "And I was thinking... you know... Maybe we could..."

"Have a blood session?" he offered.

"Yeah. That." She shrugged, her cheeks turning pink. "I'm new to this Imprinting thing, so I don't really know how it works."

"Okay." Stark's heartbeat raced. A part of him—the Other—was urging him to rip his teeth into her neck and drink from her until there wasn't anything else to drink. But the Light part of him—Zoey's Guardian—was telling him to take it slow with her. Actually, that part wanted Zoey—and the larger part recoiled from ever touching her. Their lovemaking had been sweet, but something had been _wrong _about it—like it wasn't meant. Something was happening to his and Zoey's relationship.

Stark took a deep breath, perfectly sure now. "Okay." He used his sharp fingernails to cut through the skin of her neck, and he pressed his lips to her neck. The blood was amazing—its sweet taste spread through his body as if he'd been given an energy drink.

"Oh," Terri moaned, leaning closer to him. She pressed her lips to his neck. She wasn't drinking blood, though—she was biting too softly. After a while, Stark realized what she was doing—giving him a hickey. The bite felt good against his neck, and he moaned as he sipped her blood. This was amazing. It felt so right, so much more right than he'd ever felt with Zoey.

Stark's heart beat in time with his desire as he drank and drank from Terri. And even when he got his fill, he didn't want to stop.

From the Otherworld, the white bull watched, pleasant, making his plans for a Dark, chaotic future.

...

**Hey, guys! It's my first post in 2013! I hope you liked it. I wanted to focus more on Damien's passing in this one. As the chapters continue, we'll talk more about the bake sale and Zoey's destiny. I'm sure you'll be surprised by what you find out. **

** I was gone for a while, due to me trying to figure out how to work my new MacBook, but now I have everything set up perfectly. I will be continuing to update stories weekly. If I miss a week, it's because my laptop's acting up—I'm not sure I got it right. Lol. **

** Next update will probably be Moonlight. I almost have the second chapter on that one done. I'm working on If It Were You chapter 3 too, and Screw Bella chapter 15 is coming along, though the second one will probably be the last one to be updated. **

** Also, I have a surprise for you guys. I may be bringing back Nicki's Promise! I have an improved draft of the story, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. It's **_**much **_**better than the original. Do you think I should bring the new and improved version to you guys? Vote now:**

**A. Hell no!**

**B. Hell yes!**

**Until next time, Fledglings!**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

_Zoey_

"I'm not sure I want you to leave just yet. You go with the lighting."

"Really, Zoey?" Aurox rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. "I go with the lighting?"

"I'm serious." I pursed my lips. "Your hair... I think that's my favorite color now. You should wear it out instead of cutting it. It reminds me of He—" I had been about to say _Heath, _but I realized it may be offensive to him. Aurox just nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

It was becoming so hard to forget that Heath and Aurox weren't different people anymore. Since we'd returned from the Otherworld, Heath's memory had been easier on my soul; having Aurox with me was almost like having Heath again. The two were so similar it hurt. I knew that in the Otherworld, Aurox had absorbed Heath's soul, so now they were the same person, with respect to their looks, but it was hard to remember. Even Aurox had trouble keeping up with it sometimes.

I smiled and pressed my lips to his. The love I felt for Aurox was like a flame—burning hotter and hotter each time we touched. It felt right, nothing like what I had with Stark. Stark's love was more like a campfire, changing patterns under the dark sky. With Aurox, it was like the world was on fire around us, but we weren't burning—we were taking pleasure from the heat.

"You know, since we've come back from the Otherworld, I've... felt different things about you than usual." I played with a strand of his hair as I smiled into his eyes.

"Such as?" His voice was playful, but I could hear the burning edges of curiosity within.

"It's like... when I'm with you, I feel like I'm finally out of the cage that all this High Priestess drama has kept me in. With Stark, it just feels like I have someone to share the sentence with. But it's like you've given me the key, and now I'm free." I was smiling, but the words were truly how I felt, deeply in my soul. "I feel like the world could burn down and as long as it was the two of us, I would be perfectly okay with that."

"You don't know that, Zoey," Aurox whispered. "What about your friends? What about Stark?"

_Stark... _As soon as my Guardian Warrior's name emerged from Aurox's lips, the curtain to my room burst open. Stark was standing there, his eyes wide with fury and confusion.

"Stark," I cried, moving away from Aurox. Stark looked pissed. He was clenching and unclenching his fists, and I couldn't help but wonder where he would rather them be at the moment—around Aurox's neck, or mine?

"You slept with me last night, and now you have him in our bed?" Stark snapped.

"Stark, calm down. It wasn't li—" Aurox stopped short, staring at me. His eyes, unlike Stark's, were not full of fiery anger; his eyes were full of sadness. "You slept with him?"

"I did." I wasn't going to lie to Aurox—I couldn't lie to him any more than I could deny my connections to Nyx, or to the five elements. "I'm sorry, Aurox. My emotions were running high. Stark's always been able to... change my mind about things."

"I... I forgive you, Zoey. I understand that your emotions are all over the place. It's just hell that you slept with him in this bed." Aurox stared down at the sheets as though they were made of dangerous toxins.

"It's our bed, dumb-ass," Stark retorted. "She must've failed to tell you how many orgasms she had here."

"Stark." He was starting to piss me off. "Calm down. It's not even that serious."

Stark shook his head. With the motion, the fabric of the hoodie he was wearing moved, revealing his neck. His eyes widened, and he tried to move the fabric back in place, but I'd already seen the red welt there—and the hickey that was clearly smack in the middle.

"You're one to talk! You have a damn hickey on your neck!" I wasn't sure why I was so jealous. Stark had just called me on being with Aurox, which was indefinitely true and I wasn't willing to deny it. But one little hickey could make me jealous. "Which one was it? Which one of those little sluts was sucking on your neck?" I snapped.

"Oh, jeesh—she's cussing." Stark rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about who it was."

"You see, Stark? This is why we're having relationship problems right now. It's clear you don't trust me. _And I don't trust you_," I yelled.

The pain that rippled across Stark's face was instant, and it almost made me regret my words. "You... don't... trust me?"

"I don't," I said coldly.

And then I understood why Stark was so hurt. One of the biggest commitments to the Guardian Bond was the trust of the relationship. If I didn't trust Stark and he didn't trust me, it was going to have a bad effect on our bond. And if Stark broke his oath, he could die.

I took a deep breath, wondering if his pain was because he believed I didn't love him anymore or because he thought he might die. I wondered if I even _did _love him. Not like before, if so. Before, one look from Stark could melt me, and I would be devoured by his seductive words and the way he touched me. Now... I still melted when I was with him, but it wasn't the same as when I was with Aurox.

I wasn't sure which love was _better, _but I was beginning to realize that they were different significantly—and I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I shook my head, trying to focus on something other than my reverie. "Stark, what do you expect? You're never with me anymore. You're always out, and you never helped redecorate when we were doing it. You're withdrawn. Everyone thought you were so angry because I was in the Otherworld, but I'm back and you're still angry. I don't know what to tell you." I wanted to say that Aurox had been here when he hadn't, but that would be a low blow, so I just kept my mouth shut.

"Terri," he whispered.

"What? Who's Terri?" My first thought was the red fledgling girl who Shaylin had told me was the most evil of the bunch. But Stark couldn't be talking about her.

A cold chill rolled down my spine as I looked in Stark's eyes and his face seemed to disappear. For a horrifying moment, I stared into the cold, dark eyes of the white bull.

Just at that moment, my seer stone warmed against my breasts. I took a deep breath and raised it to my eye. Everything changed then. At first Stark was just Stark, with creepy white-bull eyes. But then, everything around me disappeared. Stark was still standing there, but now, there were black wings unfurling from his back. He was shirtless, clad scantily, in only the Scottish kilt that Seoras wore all the time. Stark was muscular as it was, but his body was even more ripped now, and it was sheen with sweat. I'm not going to lie—Stark looked utterly and totally gorgeous.

"Stark," I whispered.

"Zoey," he responded. His voice was seductive, almost a purr. It made me want to listen forever. "Something is happening to me. You have to understand. If I don't embrace the Light soon, I'll become the shadow of what Kalona was."

"What... What are you talking about?" I whispered.

"Kalona and I are bound in ways you don't yet understand. If I continue to let Darkness touch me, I'll become like him. I'll become immortal, and I'll grow wings. Eventually we'll switch places—him being the Light vampyre, and me being the Dark immortal. There has to be balance, Zoey. We can't both be on the same side—one of us has to be Dark and one of us has to be Light. The only way to stop that would be to shatter the connection."

"How do I do that?" I pressed.

"Use the elements," he said seductively, licking his lips as he moved closer to me. "But who says I still even _want _to be good? I really like bad at this moment. And I can share it with you."

"Gah," I gasped as his hands found their way to my breasts. I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the tank top and Batman pajama-pants I'd had on. His hands traced their way up, until eventually they were inside my bra. I wanted to stop him, but it felt _so_ good. I moaned softly.

"Yes, Zoey, you know you like it." Stark's baritone voice whispered in my ear as his other hand moved to my butt, pulling down the pants I had on in one swift motion. I was in nothing but my bra and panties. Stark looked down at himself, pressing a hand to his muscular, wet chest.

My body shivered with desire as he rubbed down his abs. He stopped at the groin. _"Keep going," _I rasped. Stark licked his lips, smiling as he continued into his pants. He rolled his eyes back into his head and moaned as he removed the kilt. Now, Stark was completely naked.

"Zoey," he whispered. "This is what you want. Forget Nyx—that absent goddess could never do anything for you anyway. Be with me. Choose Darkness with me."

"Ah," I groaned as his hands found my panties, ripping them away from my flesh. "Stark, yes. Make love to me. Please."

Stark's smile was victorious. In his eyes, I saw the face Kalona had once worn when he'd thought I was accepting him—not the happiness of someone who has just found a new lover, but the happiness of someone who has finally gotten a new toy, something to play with. Stark was using me for his power. He knew I would be a powerful ally to Darkness.

So when he tried to go inside me, I pushed him off. I had to force my hands not to move down the contours of his perfect musculature. "Stark, no," I whispered. "I will not give up Light—I've made it this far. I'm going to stay on the path of Light."

"Reconsider," he insisted. Before I could say anything, he pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was not far from the edge of violence. Stark had me gripped tightly against him so I could feel the hardness of his muscles, and I liked it. I wanted it—bad. But I could feel in my soul that if I chose it, I would be choosing Darkness.

So I took a deep breath and pushed the vision away, finally returning to my body. I let the seer stone fall and gasped for breath. When I couldn't hold it in anymore, I turned to the ground below and retched, throwing up for at least ten minutes. Aurox held my hair while I puked up my guts.

When I was done retching, I turned my eyes to Stark. His eyes were still cold, dark. He was becoming the Stark I'd seen in the vision. If I didn't do something to break whatever connection he had to Kalona, I would lose Stark forever.

"Stark," I said after I caught my breath. "We'll talk later. I need to be alone."

Stark shrugged and turned from the room. When the curtain closed, I turned to Aurox, my eyes wide.

"What did you see?" he demanded.

"I saw... Stark, only it wasn't Stark," I told him. "He was like another version of Kalona, only baddie Kalona, not goodie Kalona. He had Kalona's wings and everything." I decided not to omit the truth, telling him everything that had happened in the dream. When I finished, Aurox's eyes were wide.

"We can't let him get to you. You were weak to Kalona's beauty when he first rose because of A-ya's love for him. Combine that with how you feel about Stark, and it will be almost impossible to turn him down." Aurox pursed his lips. "I knew there would be a consequence to Kalona's vampyrism."

"Well, I just have to get Stark to stay in the Light, and with me."

Aurox made a face. "Easier said than done."

_Aphrodite_

Aphrodite shot straight up in bed. Her face was drenched with sweat, her hair clinging to the back of her elegant nightgown. Darius's arms were instantly around her, ready to protect his Ace from whatever befell her.

"Aphrodite? Are you okay?" Darius pressed.

"I had a dream... I think it... was a vision..." Aphrodite couldn't quite catch her breath. "About... Zoey's tattoos... and the Quill Pen... and Stevie Rae... and the end of the Darkness."

"What?" Darius looked genuinely confused.

"In the dream, I saw... a bunch of things. Stevie Rae and Rephaim were fighting Stark, who had wings and looked a lot like Kalona." Aphrodite caught her breath. "Nyx appeared to me. She was holding the pen. She told me to give it to Kramisha, who was going to have to use it to write her biggest prophecy yet. She said if we could decipher it, then we would be at the end of the Darkness. And I saw Zoey naked—not in a gay way _at fucking all, _but I saw all her tattoos. I handed Kramisha the pen, and then I woke up."

"Wow, that's something," Darius admitted. "So where is the pen now?"

"Zoey has it. I gave it to her a few days ago when me and Shaylin decided on the Oracle thing." Aphrodite winced to think about that.

"Where is Kramisha?"

"I imagine she's with Jordan, the boy who she's totally infatuated with but somehow still hates," Aphrodite guessed.

"I think we should have a meeting," Darius said. "Whenever you have visions, it is important to share them with your High Priestess."

"You're right," Aphrodite agreed. "Zoey needs to know about this. Soon."

"I'll call a meeting." Darius reached for his phone.

_Kramisha_

Kramisha was about sick of these damn meetings, but she reluctantly said okay to Darius and clicked the line over. As soon as she turned to set her phone on the table, she jumped. There Jordan was again.

"Why you gotta be so sneaky, goddammit?" Kramisha snapped. "Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare a pretty lady." Jordan licked his lips and smiled, and Kramisha almost melted right then and there. She gritted her teeth—she would _not _fall for Jordan's game so easily. It was hard, though. He was just so... damn... fine.

"Well, thanks for callin' me pretty, but you didn't have to sneak up on me. You got a habit of doin' that. It needs to stop." Kramisha's voice was still cold, but her tone wasn't as angry as it had been the first time.

"I'll try to make it stop." Jordan grinned as he moved closer to her, then his eyebrows drew together in surprise.

"What is it?"

"The voices... they're... saying something different," he whispered.

"What do they usually say about me?"

"They say, _that's your one. _Usually once, and then they shut up. But now they're saying, _she's got a destiny on her. You need to protect her._"

"Protect me? From what?"

"Shit, I don't know!" Jordan looked frustrated for the first time in a long time, cracks in his easy exterior. "This whole Voice affinity shit is annoyin' as hell."

"Tell me about it. My affinity's no play day." Kramisha could feel her fingers itching now, telling her that it was time for her to write a poem. She tried to resist the urge.

"At least they _like _you. They don't like me."

She had a feeling he was talking about Zoey and Stevie Rae and the rest of them. Kramisha snorted. "They don't _know _you, Jordan." She hated the thrill that went through her when she said his name and the way she felt so defensive over him. "Trust me, if they knew you, they'd like you."

Jordan grinned. "Really?"

"Really." She grinned back.

"Hey, Kramisha, I've been meaning to show you something." She realized he never called her by her name, and it was nice to hear it from his mouth. "Follow me."

"We have to go to the meeting in the kitchen," she insisted.

"We can be late," Jordan pressed. "Come on."

Kramisha sighed but followed him down the hallway, all the way to where the depot's door ended. The open air was nice, but Kramisha was unsure why he was doing this. "What tip is you on? What's your point?"

"Look. Right there." He pointed to a bright star in the center of the sky, and then looked at her. The look in his eyes was almost scary—it made him look so much older than he really was. "Kramisha. That star represents you. I used to hate you. I don't no more, girl. You fine as hell, and you exactly what I want. I feel it—we connect like pencil and paper, like glue. And I want you, girl. Stop resisting me." Jordan pointed to the star again. "You see how it never change, and it's the brightest one? You outshine all these motherfuckers. You could be the High Priestess, if you wanted to." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And I love you."

Kramisha was unprepared, but she should've seen it coming. Should've felt it. But instead, she watched hopelessly as he moved closer to her, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. The kiss was soft and sweet, and every bit as affectionate as he'd intended it to be. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer as he kissed back.

Jordan was right. The two of them were meant to be together, like 1 + 1. What was the point in fighting it? She just needed to accept it.

She broke the kiss then, smiling at him. "I accept."

"So we boyfriend and girlfriend now?" His tone was cautious.

She punched him in the arm.

"Ah! What was that for?"

"You shouldn't have to ask. Yeah, we are, dummy. Now come on, 'fore Zoey get on our asses." She laced her fingers through his and, smiling to herself, walked as quickly as she could with him to the meeting.

_Neferet_

The former daughter and High Priestess of Nyx stared up at the sky. She closed her eyes, sending a prayer to the Goddess: _Nyx, I do not know if you listen to me anymore, but I beg your forgiveness for my terrible atrocities. I wish to be washed free of my sins, and back in your service. Zoey and I can be friends again, a mentor and child, though I am not sure she will accept me. _

It was the same prayer she'd sent Nyx every day, hoping the Goddess would listen. She didn't know if it was working or not, but she distinctly hoped so.

Taking a deep breath, she apologized again for what she was about to do. She walked with her shoulders squared and her chin high into the home of Sylvia Redbird, grandmother of Zoey and daughter of the Earth Mother.

Sylvia was sitting cross-legged in the center of her floor, her eyes closed as though she were concentrating on something. Neferet felt a pang go through her body. Such a Wise Woman. Why couldn't Neferet have that power?

Neferet called the white bull forward as she approached Sylvia. The bull crept toward her, a glint in his eye. Before Sylvia could open her eyes, he launched for her. In a terrifying whirlwind of light and sound, he snapped her up, and she was on his back in seconds, chains of Darkness wrapped around her.

"Grab her cell phone. I want Zoey to feel the loss of her grandmother," the white bull instructed.

She wondered absently if this was how cold and terrifying she had been before turning, but did as the white bull had asked and grasped the woman's cell phone.

Sylvia moaned softly as the Darkness ate at her blood. "Neferet, what has become of you?"

Neferet wanted to tell her she was more than the Darkness that surrounded her, but she could say nothing; the white bull would catch on and kill her himself, or worse. So she just lowered her head, ignoring the woman's angry words.

Neferet watched the bull carry Sylvia through time as she screamed, and sincerely hoped and prayed the woman would be okay.

Taking a deep breath, Neferet tried to call Darkness to her to cleanse the room of the stench of Sylvia's purified blood. Neferet gasped when no Dark threads materialized above her hands.

She suddenly heard Nyx's powerful voice running through her head: _you have done it, child. _

And then Neferet realized what Nyx meant. The threads did not come to her because she no longer controlled them. In losing her immortality, she had also lost her power. Neferet had truly chosen Light and turned away from Darkness.

...

**Hey, guys! It felt good to update to you again. Do you like the direction the story's taking? Neferet's on the side of Light, Stark may or may not be Dark... so much indecision and drama! Ah, I love it!**

** Okay... maybe I went a little overboard.**

**Also, guys, it's ten months until The Hunger Games, Catching Fire is released! Woohoo! Hopefully we'll get a trailer soon. **

**Before I go, I have a question for you guys. At this point in the story, do you prefer:**

**A. Aurox**

**or B. Stark?**

**Please answer honestly. If you prefer neither, say C. **

**Thanks!**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

_Aphrodite_

After a while, the entire gang was seated in the kitchen—her, Darius, Zoey, Aurox, Stark (who looked irritated and bored), Stevie Rae, Rephaim, Shaunee, Nisroc, Shaylin, Erik, Jordan, Kramisha, Thanatos, and Kalona. Some people had had to pull up a chair, but for the most part everyone had assembled perfectly. Aphrodite sat at the head of the table for once—she was going to have to tell them about her vision.

Everyone looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. She finally cleared her throat. "In the vision, I was standing in the middle of a battlefield. There was fire and blood and boobs everywhere. I was just watching it. Suddenly, I saw Stevie Rae and Rephaim standing in the center of everyone." Aphrodite really didn't want to continue. "The vision had a shimmery quality, like dark shadows all around it. Anyway, I saw Stevie Rae and Rephaim standing in the center, fighting for each other. Then, three humans grabbed Rephaim, and held him while one sliced his head off."

Stevie Rae gasped, her hand flying to her mouth; Rephaim made no reaction, but his eyes tightened.

"Then, I turned my eyes to Stevie Rae, who was crying. She didn't even have time to defend herself before someone stabbed her straight through her heart." Stevie Rae's eyes widened. "The vision changed, and I was watching Zoey and Stark have sex. I couldn't look away from Z—not in a gay way. I was staring at her tattoos. Stark seemed to be growing wings, and they were ripping through his shirt. They were black, the same color as Kalona's before he chose Light. And he kinda looked like Kalona too." Aphrodite shuddered, remembering the look in Stark's eyes. "Stark started to take it too far, and Zoey got mad and wanted him to stop, but he wouldn't. He started to rape her, and then she used the elements to force him off her. She ran away from Stark, who looked stunned. The wings kinda faded away and then Stark just melted. I know he died." Stark bit his lip but said nothing. "Zoey ran out to the battle, and she saw all her friends—including me—dead. She started to cry, and then Nyx appeared and handed the spirit-me the Quill Pen. She said something about a prophecy, and then I woke up."

Everyone was silent for a long moment. Aphrodite had had a death vision—on a major scale. She thought it had been her worst vision yet. It had been lucky she was asleep. Her entire body was still sore, and her eyes still tinged with red. She'd had to nearly OD on medications to lessen the pain.

"So you saw pretty much everyone in this room dying?" Shaunee said finally.

"Yes. Except Zoey. Zoey doesn't die in the vision, and Nyx is with her at the end." Aphrodite looked pointedly at Zoey, who seemed to be intentionally avoiding her gaze. "That proves the message of how fucking important our Priestess is."

"Where's the Quill Pen?" Kramisha said suddenly, her hands balled tightly into fists.

"Zoey has it." Aphrodite shrugged.

"Here, I brought it with me." Zoey absently reached into her pocket and drew the glistening pen out, handing it to Kramisha. Kramisha sighed with relief as she made contact with the pen, and whipped a piece of paper out of her bra, and stared at Zoey. "Strip," she barked.

"You goin' gay on me, Kramisha?" Jordan grinned. "I don't mind."

She punched him playfully; the love between them was so obvious. It was kind of cute, though Aphrodite would never admit that aloud. "Zoey, I need to see all of your tattoos. This is important."

Zoey's eyebrows squished together, like she was confused. "What..." When Kramisha glared at her, she nodded. "Okay."

"So you'll strip? Just like that?" Stark sounded interested in the conversation. Ugh. Disgusting.

"If it's to help Kramisha in any way, I will," Zoey answered, sounding somewhat irritated. "I know Kramisha's connected to Nyx, so if Nyx wants me to show you guys my tattoos, I will."

Aphrodite tried not to laugh as Zoey removed her tank top, wearing nothing but a bra. "I don't have any tattoos on my boobs," Zoey said as she pulled her pants off, in nothing but her underclothes. She blushed as Kramisha stared at her, and wrote something on her sheet of paper. After a long moment of Kramisha's writing, she finally looked up. "Okay, you can put your clothes on."

Zoey slid her clothes on and returned to her seat. "So what was that for?" she asked.

"Your tattoos... they... a prophecy." The words sounded strangled in Kramisha's throat. "They been a prophecy all along. That's why no other vampyre done had all them tattoos—they not Marks, they a prophecy. The Mark on your forehead is the real Mark, but the rest of your tattoos are what made this prophecy."

"Why haven't you known that this entire time?" Aphrodite demanded.

"Because I couldn't read it. We needed the damn pen to see, and obviously it wasn't meant for us to read until the end," Kramisha snapped. "But I see the shit now. Zoey's had a prophecy drawn on her all along."

Zoey's mouth fell open, and she gasped. "That's why I have so many tattoos?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Kramisha confirmed.

"Well, what does the prophecy say?" Stevie Rae asked.

Kramisha lifted the paper to her face and began to read the prophecy. As she read, her voice completely changed from sounding irritated and kinda bitchy to beautiful and powerful, a true Poet Laureate:

_Το αίμα του Nyx βρίσκεται μέσα σου_

_Και θα είναι εκείνη_

_Ποιος ανοίγει την πόρτα για την ελευθερία_

_Και έτσι πρέπει να γίνεται._

_Από το σκοτάδι στο φως τις κινήσεις Tsi Sgili_

_Και οι παίκτες συντάξει το χιόνι με αίμα_

_Η σκοτεινή δύναμη του αθάνατου Πολεμιστής_

_Έχει συλληφθεί σας στην αγάπη του._

_Στο τέλος όλα θα σταθεί_

_Με την Θεά από την πλευρά σας_

_Σπαθί σας στο χέρι σας_

_Τα μάτια σας γεμάτοι υπερηφάνεια._

_Στο τέλος της ημέρας μπορείτε να επιλέξετε_

_Για να αφήσει η αγάπη πάει και να επιστρέψει_

_Για να ξεκινήσετε εκ νέου σε μια νέα πορεία,_

_Live, αγάπη, και να μάθετε._

_Αν η καρδιά σας επιθυμεί το άλλο,_

_Η επιλογή σας πρέπει να είναι ο ίδιος για,_

_Και αν δεν είναι ο κόσμος όπως τον ξέρουμε σήμερα_

_Σίγουρα θα πάψει να είναι._

After Kramisha finished reading the poem, she looked up at Zoey, her eyes wide. "I don't know what language this is."

"It sounds familiar," Darius said. "Is it... French?"

"No," Shaunee said, shaking her head. "I was in French class most of my third former year. I know some French, and none of those words sounded French."

"Spanish?" Jordan suggested.

"Not even," Stevie Rae disagreed, shaking her head.

"If Damien were here, I bet he would know." Shaylin blushed as the words came from her mouth. "But I take a lot of foreign languages. Let me see."

Kramisha handed Shaylin the paper, who stared at it for a long moment. "Hmm... Interesting."

"What?" Aphrodite demanded.

"The paper has a color," Shaylin revealed.

"What color is it?" Kramisha asked.

"It's silver, like Aurox. The color of moonlight. Nothing else. Nothing less."

"Maybe that means Nyx was the one who wrote it," Aphrodite suggested, translating Shaylin's envisioning once again and being the fucking Oracle.

"You're right," Kramisha said softly. "I can feel it. Nyx wrote this poem her_ damn_ self, and she want us to translate it and figure it out."

"Well, since Nyx wrote it... Let's think of languages that Nyx knows well. What would be a top language to vampyres?" Rephaim asked.

"Italian," Stevie Rae answered. "Romanian. Those are places where there are the most vampyres. And the High Council's in Italy."

"I don't think it's either of those," Shaylin mused. "Hmm..." She tapped her chin, considering.

"Greek?" Erik, who'd been silent throughout most of the conversation, spoke up. "Nyx is originally a Greek goddess, and her name is Greek. And it was the people in Greece who were touched by the Change first."

"You know, I think it might be Greek," Shaylin admitted. "Ancient Greek. It's pretty old, if I can't recognize it."

"Well, nobody knows Greek, so how are we supposed to translate it?" Aurox asked.

"Couldn't we use a phone?" Aphrodite suggested. "They have a translate page on Google. I could just type in the poem and Google it, and a translation would come up."

"Try it," Zoey urged.

Aphrodite pulled her phone out of her pocket, thinking that it was going to be hard to type. She was right. It took her almost ten minutes to type the strange prophecy into her phone. When she'd finally typed it, her phone took infuriatingly long to load. After she was about ready to throw the iPhone, the solution they were waiting for finally came, and Aphrodite read the poem aloud in English:

_The blood of Nyx is within you_

_And it will be that which is good_

_Who opens the door to freedom_

_And so it should._

_From darkness to light moves the Tsi Sgili_

_Both players draw the snow with blood_

_The dark power of the immortal warrior_

_Has captured your love._

_In the end only you stand_

_With the view from your side_

_Sword in your hand_

_Your eyes full of pride._

_At the end of the day you can choose_

_To let love go and return_

_To start afresh on a new course,_

_Live, love and learn._

_If your heart wants another_

_Your selection must be for he,_

_And if not the world as we know it today_

_Will surely cease to be._

"What could that mean?" Shaylin mused aloud, her face contorting in confusion. Aphrodite passed the phone to Zoey, who stared down at the poem.

"Obviously this poem is talking about Zoey." Stevie Rae said. "The blood of Nyx is within you? The dark immortal Warrior has captured your love?"

"This has gotta be one of the longest prophecies we've had," was all Kramisha said, shaking her head. "Let's just do what we usually do and start at the top and work our way down."

"Okay," Zoey said, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "We know the blood of Nyx is within me, so that part's talking about me. _And it will be that which is good who opens the door to freedom and so it should? _Maybe it means good is a person, and that person will open the door to freedom, and that's the way it should be."

"Probably," Kramisha agreed.

"Next line," Stevie Rae said. "Hand me the phone." Zoey passed her the phone, and Stevie Rae read the next line aloud: _"From Darkness to Light moves the Tsi Sgili. _Obviously it's talking about Neferet. But Neferet's batshit evil. How could she move from Darkness to Light?"

"We haven't seen Neferet since the battle. Anything could be up with her," Stark said, and his voice sounded slightly defensive of the Tsi Sgili. Aphrodite wanted to choke the boy, but before she could say anything, Zoey spoke up. "Even if Neferet chooses Light, I won't trust her." Her voice was as cold as the night.

"I agree," Kalona said softly. "The Tsi Sgili is a witch and it would take the most extreme measure to cause her to turn to Light."

"Why?" Rephaim's voice was hard. "People change. You've seen that for yourself several times."

"She killed my mom, Rephaim. She killed Jack. She made Kalona kill Heath. She killed Loren and Professor Nolan. She killed Dragon and almost killed _you_ through Aurox! She's a monster, and nothing she ever says or does could make me trust her again." Zoey sounded tired.

"Well, let's continue," Stevie Rae said softly, looking like she wanted to agree with Zoey. "_Both players draw the snow with blood._ Hmm... Maybe it means two sides are fighting, and the fight is getting blood in the snow?"

"I think so," Erik agreed. "Next line."

_"The Dark power of the immortal Warrior has captured your love."_

"Kalona?" Shaylin asked, confused.

"No. Kalona's not Dark anymore," Stevie Rae said. "It can't be talking about him."

"I know who it's talking about." Aphrodite felt a cold sweat break out over her arms as he looked at her, but she couldn't let him know she was afraid. So she looked him right in his eyes, ignoring the fear she felt ridden deep in her soul. "Stark."

"But Stark's a red vampyre. He's not an immortal," Rephaim said, confused.

"But he's becoming immortal, just like he's turning to Darkness. I won't lie about it anymore, and I can see it happening as clear as you can." Aphrodite's voice was sharp and cold.

"I know why," Kalona blurted, his eyes wide. "The connection."

"What connection?" Zoey demanded.

"Look... When Kalona saved me in the Otherworld, our souls were bound. He can enter my body and I can enter his, though I've never tried it. I didn't know about it until recently. I didn't lie to you." Stark looked terrified. "But I had a dream from Nyx that told me everything. In a soul connection, the two have to have balance—usually one Dark and one Light. When the connection was made, Kalona was Dark. When he chose Light—that was when Darkness started to affect me. I'm trying to fight it."

"But is it working?" Kalona demanded.

Stark stared down at the table.

And suddenly Aphrodite felt sorry for him. He hadn't been _choosing _Darkness, he'd been forced into picking it because of his bond to Kalona. She reached a hand out and caressed his face. "Stark, we'll help you choose Light."

"I don't think you understand," Stark insisted. "If I choose Light, one of us will die."

"What?" Thanatos cried.

"Yes. In the dream, Nyx said there must be balance—or there will be death. If I don't choose Darkness, I could die—or Kalona. Whoever's closer to Light."

"Stark," Zoey whispered.

Everyone was staring at him. Aphrodite knew that of the journeys and destinies in the room, Stark's was the biggest. He would have to fight an age-old bond that would determine his fate and possibly kill him.

"And if I do choose Darkness, I'll become what Kalona was—something like an angel, a winged immortal. I'll give up completely on Nyx and I'll be just like Neferet." Stark's voice was cold, as if he had completely abandoned all hope.

Stark _couldn't _choose Darkness—he just couldn't. But he couldn't choose Light either. What was he going to do?

"We will figure this all out later," Thanatos said softly. "Let us continue to decipher the poem now."

"O-okay," Stevie Rae said quietly. _"In the end only you stand, with the view from your side, sword in your hand, your eyes full of pride._"

"I think it represents Nyx," Kalona said. "She watches Zoey in battle."

"_At the end of the day you can choose to let love go and return, to start afresh on a new course, live, love and learn._"

"I'm not sure what that means," Zoey said.

"Yeah, I'm confused too," Aphrodite said.

"Me too," Kramisha said. "Maybe it means somebody gon' die."

After a while, Aphrodite realized Kramisha was right. The poem said to let love go. Why would Zoey have to let love go, unless someone was dying?

"Maybe a lot of someone's," Aphrodite muttered, though she didn't know if anyone heard her.

"_If your heart wants another your selection must be for he, and if not the world as we know it today will surely cease to be._" Stevie Rae sounded tired.

"So basically you're supposed to make a choice between Stark and Aurox, and whoever the poem's talking about could save the world." Shaylin smiled.

"Pretty much sounds right," Rephaim admitted.

"Ah, hell," Zoey muttered.

...

**Update! I was sick in bed all day today, and I'm feeling better now, so I decided to post this chapter. My body has been hurting all day, and my stomach ****. I think I have the flu. Hope I feel better tomorrow. **

** Anyway... Sorry this chapters kinda short. Next chapter will make up for it. I want to address SmilesSaveLives's review of the last chapter. Thank you! Your review was lovelily long, even though I don't think that's a word. I noticed that a long time ago, btw. When you see what Zoey's destiny is, you'll see why her and Nyx have similar boy issues. **** Love you! And thank you to everyone else who reviewed. You guys are the main reason I write—the fans' support is epic.**

** I'm almost done with chapter 15 of SCREW BELLA, and I have the outline of chapter 3 for If It Were You. Those should be up pretty soon, but I'm always saying that. Ugh. **

** Enjoy! See you next chapter, which will be the bake sale... **

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

_Zoey_

I sat nervously in my seat at the table. Tonight was the night that could either make or break our connection with humans. Today, we'd all been out and about, frantically publicizing the bake sale. To our surprise, a lot of humans had taken interest, reading the signs. Some had torn them down, but most had taken a chance by reading them. It was becoming clearer and clearer to me that Neferet was using them, goading them into war with vampyres. They didn't want this—they wanted to heal their ties to us.

"You guys ready?" Stevie Rae said. She looked very pretty. She was wearing a red dress that, simple enough, brought out her curves and made her look beautiful, like a woman, as a High Priestess should. Her hair, longer recently, was straight for the first time in a long time, with golden tresses that fell gently to her shoulders. She'd parted it, swiping the two sides between her neck, and her hair was just barely out of her face. She was wearing red heels that went very conveniently with the dress.

"Of course I'm ready. Ready to face this with you," Rephaim said. He, too, looked stunning. He was donned in a three-piece tuxedo, with black dress pants, black dress shoes, a white button-up, and a black jacket with a red tie and a red flower inside his jacket's pocket. He looked so handsome, the tuxedo unable to conceal his ridiculous muscles that were surely a product of his father. And I'd never admit this to Stevie Rae, but his butt looked amazing in those dress pants.

But I had more sexy things to worry about. I inclined my head so that it was facing the other direction, and Kalona and Thanatos strode into the room. His beauty hit me like it usually did, only this time something was a little different. His long, slick hair had been cut short, in a look that surprisingly improved his beauty. His face was starting to grow hair, a mustache and a beard, that wasn't unattractive at all. He wore basically the same outfit as Rephaim, with the exception of a blue tie, and a blue flower to match with Thanatos, who looked stunning as well. Her blue, shimmery dress came down reasonably long, and her hair was curled and pinned up so that it wouldn't be in her face.

"You look amazing, Zoey," came Aurox's voice. I turned and watched him make his way into the cafeteria, which had been set up amazingly—there were rows of tables set up for the food, and in the back there were four tables that would act as stations for the different job sign-ups; we'd decided to include another table for humans who wanted to work to clean the tunnels, because there was _no_ way we were going through that angst again. Aurox trod down the stairs toward me, an eager look in his eyes. He looked dapper. He wore a unique all-white outfit—even his shoes were white. The white somehow brought out his eyes and his golden hair, and made him look incredibly handsome—even more so than usual. "Aurox," I whispered as we united again, and his fingers threaded through mine.

"You look amazing," he repeated, staring down at me. I blushed. The ensemble I'd donned wasn't much—a short, black, long-sleeved dress that resembled the one I'd worn on the night of my Dark Daughters' ritual—but it seemed to make Aurox's eyes light up. Thanatos had been against my wearing it—she'd wanted me to show off my tattoos—but I'd brushed away her concerns, assuring her that the extended Mark on my face would be enough. My hair was curled tightly and fell gently down to my back.

"Aurox, I could say the same for you. All-white's definitely your color." I grinned at him.

He laughed. "Thanks. But you really do look great." He fiddled with my pendant. I'd decided to don it as a showing of leadership, a showing that I was in some way still a High Priestess. My diamond earrings were clasped in my ears too, though that had raised Shaunee and Stevie Rae's eyebrows, remembering that Loren had gifted me with them.

"Thank you," I told him. "I feel great. It's finally here. After all the hours we've been waiting for it."

He nodded. "Are you scared?"

"No, not really. I'm not scared of the bake sale itself—I'm just scared about what will come of it," I admitted.

Shaylin and Erik walked into the room. They both looked cute. Shaylin's incredibly long hair was curled in spirals, falling down to her back in a look I'd never thought of on her. It made her doll-face look so much older. She was wearing a strapless green dress that showed off some of her curves and made her look much taller and older than she really was. In her hand was a wallet-sized purse. She was wearing heels, which was another thing that served her height. Erik was wearing a black vest, with black dress pants and a green tie. Underneath the vest, he wore a green shirt that matched his tie.

Erik and Shaylin strode up to us, giving us hugs. "You guys ready?" Erik asked us.

"Pretty much," Aurox answered him. "About as ready as we can be."

"We saw the nuns walking in on our way down here," Shaylin told me. "It should take them a minute, but they're here."

"Okay," I said, nodding.

In walked Aphrodite and Darius. I had expected Aphrodite's dress to be outlandish, but I was surprised by how normal she looked. Maybe I was just used to her expensive tastes. She donned a Louis Vuitton dress that was silver, like the moon. It shimmered with the lights and actually looked very pretty on her. Her hair had been washed, blow-dried, and combed out—I could tell by how straight it was—but other than that, she hadn't done anything to it. She was wearing lip gloss, but other than that she had no make-up on. Darius had on a simple white button up with black dress pants and black dress shoes, but it did seem to make his muscles stand out, and he looked very handsome.

Aphrodite and Darius made their way over to us as Erik and Shaylin walked away to talk to Stevie Rae and Rephaim. "Fuck, I'm hot," Aphrodite sighed as she fanned her face. "Can we get this over with?"

"I'm ready for it to be over, too," I admitted. "I'm with you. Just grin and bear it."

"That's what I do anyway," she muttered, "but thanks."

As they walked away, Kramisha, Nicole, and Jordan finally entered the room, the last three. I didn't know where Stark was, but I hadn't thought he would show anyway. Kramisha looked pretty; her long, blond weave fell to her back, and she was wearing a pretty gold dress that shined with the light. Jordan was kinda matching with her, taking on the same tuxedo look as everyone else but with a golden tie. Nicole was wearing a long red dress that was a little like Stevie Rae's, but shorter and more inappropriate.

After they walked up to us and said their _hi's_, Sister Mary Angela and her nuns finally made an appearance. There were about twenty of them, and to my delight, each of them was carrying two cat carriers—at least forty cats. Sister Mary Angela directed them to the back table—we'd let her in on where she would sit her charity—and they set all the cats down. While they were busy, she came over to Aurox and I. "Hello, Zoey. Hello, Aurox," she greeted.

"Hey," we told her.

"This has been well-organized," she praised. "The theme of this is so humane, so normal, that humans will love to be in an atmosphere they can relate to."

"I know," I agreed. "That was the plan. Thanatos and Stevie Rae came up with it."

"Well, hats off to them." Sister Mary Angela smiled. "Street Cats will continue to ally with vampyres, as vampyres are not evil. I trust you, Zoey, as long as you trust me."

I smiled. "Then we trust each other."

I remembered now why I'd liked Sister Mary Angela so much—she reminded me of my grandmother. The two were a great deal alike, both taskmistresses and hard workers. Sister Mary Angela kissed my cheek and walked away.

Thinking of Grandma made me want to talk to her, so I took my phone out of my purse and dialed her number. After three rings, she picked up. "Hello?" Her voice sounded hoarse.

"Grandma? Hey. I was just wondering if you were still coming to the bake sale." My voice sounded pleading.

"I'm sorry, Zoey—I won't be making it. I'm sick." Grandma sounded miserable.

"Oh," I sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I believe I have the flu. I must stay at my farm and heal. When I'm well, I'll venture to the House of Night." Grandma sounded scared for some reason. Why didn't I believe what she was saying? Chills rolled down my spine.

"Grandma—"

"I must call you back, Zoey. Goodbye."

The line went dead.

I wanted to call Grandma back and see why she was acting so strange, but before I could even dial anything, Stevie Rae's mother, Mama "Ginny" Johnson, entered the room holding along with a handsome man who I presumed was her father and two pretty cute boys who looked a lot like Stevie Rae. The two boys were both holding two bowls that were filled to the top of cookies, which both looked and smelled delicious. Stevie Rae cried out and ran to them, throwing her arms around them one by one. Rephaim looked awkward but sighed, walking to meet Stevie Rae's family.

My lips twitched, fighting a smile. This would be interesting.

_Rephaim_

Rephaim had faced Darkness for years, had been balm to its terrifying touch, and had known the power of Neferet truly magnified. He'd seen things that none of these Light fledglings, even Zoey Redbird, had not seen. So why did the sight of Stevie Rae's father strike more fear in him than ever before?

He took a deep breath. Stevie Rae had told him that one day, she was going to have him meet her family. Apparently, today was going to be the day.

He squared his shoulders and walked to meet his destiny. He walked past the Street Cats table, and past the signup sheets tables. When he had finally crossed the room to Stevie Rae's family, he was shocked by how much they looked like her. Stevie Rae's mother was a slightly plump but beautiful woman, her long, curly hair mirroring Stevie Rae's. Her father was only a few inches taller than him, but he was still highly intimidating. He was muscular, and he looked like he could knock Rephaim out with one single blow. His hair was dark brown, unlike his wife's. Rephaim's gaze drifted to Stevie Rae's brothers. She'd told him that one was 18, a year older than her, and one was 16, a year younger, but both looked very mature. One had the trademark blond hair, and one had the brown hair of their father.

"I've missed you guys so much!" Stevie Rae squeaked, her lips lifted in a smile. "I'm so glad you showed up."

"We've missed you too, darlin'," her father said, speaking with a Southern accent that was not far off of Stevie Rae's. He kissed her cheek, grinning at her. His gaze drifted to Rephaim. Disapproving already. "And who is this young man?"

"This is Rephaim." Stevie Rae's eyes moved to her mother now, who gasped. "He's my boyfriend and it's time you met him. Rephaim—Dad. Dad—Rephaim."

"Hello, Rephaim," her dad said, sticking a hand out. "How ya doin'?"

Rephaim shook her dad's outstretched hand. His grip was like iron, but Rephaim didn't complain—he had a feeling her dad wasn't a man who catered to complaints. "I'm well. How are you, sir?"

"Well, I'm doin' just fine, thank you. And you can call me Mr. Johnson." He nodded at Rephaim before letting his hand go. Rephaim flexed his fingers, unsure whether one was broken or not.

"I thought you told me Rephaim was... a bird," Mrs. Johnson breathed.

"He was," Stevie Rae said, grinning at Rephaim. "And then... some stuff happened. Basically, Nyx forgave him for his past sins and made him a boy again."

"Vampyre shit," Mr. Johnson muttered. "Need-to-know." Rephaim was sure he was the only one who heard the words.

"Well, you're a very handsome boy, Rephaim. Come and give Mama a hug!" Rephaim leaned into Mrs. Johnson's outstretched arms, squeezing tightly on her. When they finally broke apart, Mrs. Johnson grinned at him.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Mr. Johnson barked. _Oh, Goddess. _

"Take the cookies to one of the tables—that first one," Mrs. Johnson ordered the boys. They nodded, glancing at Rephaim again before they walked away.

Rephaim swallowed and turned to Mr. Johnson, thinking carefully before he spoke. "I just want Stevie Rae to be happy. I love her, Mr. Johnson, and by some miracle she loves me too. I want the world for her, and more. I'll be with her for as long as she wants me around." Stevie Rae blushed and grinned as Rephaim kissed her cheek.

Rephaim glanced at Mr. Johnson. The man's expression was strange. It was... proud. Approving, almost. "I can see you're tellin' the truth, but, Stevie Rae, if he breaks your heart, y'know I've got a rifle in the garage."

"Dad!" Stevie Rae protested.

"Oh, calm down, Lenny. He loves her." Mrs. Johnson grinned. "They're so cute."

"Aww, thanks," Stevie Rae said, smiling.

"This is like _Twilight _or somethin', only Rephaim's not a vampyre," Mr. Johnson muttered. "Fine."

Rephaim had watched the first two _Twilight _films with Stevie Rae before, and he had to admit, he was looking forward to watching the next one. They were entertaining.

"Where's Zoey?" Mrs. Johnson asked. "I haven't seen her yet."

"She's over there!" Stevie Rae grinned and pointed to where Zoey and Aurox were standing.

"Let's go talk to her," Mr. Johnson agreed. "I need to meet my daughter's best friend."

"Dad..." Stevie Rae said half-heartedly as they walked away. Rephaim beamed. He'd been afraid for nothing. Stevie Rae's parents had accepted him. Maybe that meant it was meant to be between the two of them.

Rephaim remembered what his father had said back when he'd still been on the side of evil; _"You know she can never truly love you as a woman loves a man?" _

The words had never been more incorrect.

_Stark_

Stark took a deep breath and entered the cafeteria. He was wearing a simple black dress shirt and black pants. He tried not to be seen, and he wasn't, at first. Zoey was distracted by Stevie Rae and her parents. She looked beautiful in the dress she'd donned, like a true High Priestess.

_She is meant for you, Warrior... _Nyx's voice? No, someone else. It was a man. Someone else. Kalona? No. It was Erebus, who hadn't been seen since the school had burned up. _Or is she? You do not know the answer for this, do you?_

_Shut up, _Stark thought.

He looked around the room, his eyes catching on a beautiful girl. He believed her name was Nicole. She was wearing a long, red dress that shimmered the color of the sky when the sun was setting. She'd been Dark, but had chosen Light. Nicole caught sight of Stark, and her eyes widened. Had Zoey told the vampyre about her struggles with love?

One of the most immediate things Stark noticed about Nicole was her scent. Vampyres weren't supposed to share blood, but the blood that was running through Nicole was hot and sweet, and he wanted it—bad.

Terri's sadness pierced him as would a sword. He gasped and clutched at his stomach. Recently, her sadness was causing pain within him—actual pain. His body was torn between what it wanted and what it needed—between Dark and Light. He hurried to take a seat.

As he sat down, Nicole and Shaylin strode over to a spot before his seat, talking and laughing about something. When Shaylin walked away, Nicole was alone. She started to walk away, but she turned around, seeing Stark, and jumped. "Goddess, you scared the crap out of me! I didn't know you were there."

"Sorry," he said softly.

"Why aren't you with Zoey?" she accused.

"She's with Aurox." Stark's voice was bitter. "It's clear she doesn't want me anymore."

"That's not true. She was looking for you earlier. She's not with you because you weren't with her," Nicole said.

Stark really, really didn't want to talk about Zoey at the moment, so he changed the subject. "What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone?"

She blushed. "Thanks. I don't have anyone to talk to. I—I don't really fit in here."

"I thought you were good," he said, confused.

"I am, but that doesn't mean I have friends. I mean... Shaylin's nice enough, and Shaunee and Rephaim. And I was talking to Zoey earlier. But the rest of them... I don't know if they like me." She sounded sad. "I'm supposed to be the red vampyre Horse Mistress, and I don't even have any friends."

"I'm your friend." Stark placed his hand over hers.

"But... we barely know each other," Nicole breathed.

"Trust me. I'll be your friend. It seems like I'm drifting away from them, too, recently. Especially Zoey." The hard edge to his voice was what made Nicole sit down next to him—or so it seemed. He couldn't see inside her mind.

"I heard the thing with you and Kalona. That's hard." Nicole sighed. "I'm so glad to be free of the Darkness, and you have to go through with it."

"I know," Stark agreed in a hard voice. "It's tormenting. Try and imagine it. The ones you love ripped away from you slowly. You have the option to choose them, but if you do, you could die."

"Well, you have me." Nicole smiled at Stark, and he smiled back. A friend, in all this drama and mess. Finally someone he could talk to about anything he wanted.

"Deal."

...

**I'd already started this chapter, so I figured I'd finish it and update the story for you guys. I'm trying to update as quickly as I can; I **_**love **_**the first few days after getting over writer's block! They're amazing!**

**How are you liking the bake sale so far? Good? Great? Terrible? Horrible? Tell me in your reviews. Also, Nicole/Stark. Do you think it'll happen? Do I? No way! ... Okay, honestly, they're just friends, guys. Every boy and girl don't have to like each other. But you never know with HoN...****  
**

**Also, I'm proud to announce that I will be doing a Delena fanfic soon! It's about what would have happen if Elena would've chosen Damon before she woke up as a vampire. Lots more sex, and basically a slightly different version of season 4 of TVD.**

**Thank you for your support!**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

_Stevie Rae_

_*warning: STEPHAIM ahead! :)*_

Stevie Rae was positively overjoyed that the bake sale was going so well. It was, as her mama would say, "meant to be like chicken wings on a Friday night". There had been no drama, no dissention between the humans and vampyres—yet. Cleopatra and Alithea, two Council members who were valued to the remainder of the Council, showed up, to her surprise—she hadn't even expected them until tomorrow. They both looked beautiful; Cleopatra was wearing a dark gold dress, her long, dark hair swept behind her neck and falling to her back, while Alithea's hair had been curled in spirals, and she was wearing a gorgeous blue dress. Both had crescent-moon earrings on, which made Stevie Rae wonder if the matching was intentional.

They approached Stevie Rae; she was the first one they saw. "Hello, Red High Priestess," Cleopatra said, smiling and offering Stevie Rae a hug. Stevie Rae hugged the woman, smiling back at her. "Hello."

Alithea inclined her head in acknowledgement, smiling, but said nothing.

"What are you guys doing in Tulsa so early?" Stevie Rae demanded.

"We called Zoey three days ago to tell her we were coming; actually, we're _late._" Cleopatra chuckled. "We figured we should be here for your bake sale, since it could be the device through which this war is averted."

"I've got a feeling it's not gonna be that simple," Stevie Rae sighed.

"When is it ever that simple with humans, Priestess?" Alithea agreed.

"You are both right. Though I wish it would be that simple, it probably won't be," Cleopatra admitted. "But we can pray to Nyx on it, and hope that her blessing is supreme."

"I hope you're right," Stevie Rae said, fixing her hair.

"You look beautiful, Priestess," Alithea complimented. "You remind me of myself when I was a fledgling." She grinned, and Stevie Rae smiled back. "Thank you."

"Where is your Rephaim? Is he not here with you?" Cleopatra mused.

"He's over there with Zoey, talking to my parents." Stevie Rae hated the reluctance in her voice. There was nothing going on between Zoey and Rephaim. But she hated her boyfriend being away from her—it hurt like a wound inflicted to the worst. She sighed, turning to look at him. He was smiling, laughing with Mama. Zoey was laughing with him, and the two looked like friends. Just friends. She was being stupid. Rephaim would never do anything to break her heart that way. She sighed.

"Let's go over there with them," Alithea said. "We need to catch up with Zoey."

"Very well." Cleopatra smiled and the two walked away, Stevie Rae following close behind. She walked up to Rephaim instantly, who turned his eyes to her. Happiness lit up in his as soon as he saw her. Without a word, seeing the discontent in hers, he pressed his lips to hers. His lips tasted like love, and every one of the resentful feelings she'd been struggling with faded. She kissed Rephaim sweetly, softly, unlike anything they'd had recently. It was time for the sweetness of their relationship to return.

When the kiss broke, she blushed, realizing that everyone was staring at them. But she didn't care. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Rephaim whispered. He looked so gorgeous in the light of the bake sale that she couldn't stop herself from smiling. For she did love him—and she knew beyond all doubt that he loved her back.

Some things may be amiss in their world, but this was one thing that was perfectly right.

_Neferet_

Neferet watched the bake sale, her eyes filling with tears as Stevie Rae and Rephaim kissed. She could now appreciate the view of love so much more, and it was clear to her that those two were in love, clearer than anything. Zoey and Aurox seemed to smile and move closer to each other, as if they were ashamed by how in love the two were and wanted to be that in love. Neferet had to admit, Zoey reminded her of herself when she was younger. Fancied by many men, but longing for only one.

Neferet knew Zoey was struggling between Stark and Aurox. If she'd been in Zoey's place, she'd have chosen Stark. She had a thing for the "bad guys", though Johnny hadn't exactly been a bad guy. But she could see that Zoey loved Aurox, as much as she loved Stark. For the two to be happy, she wanted the fledgling High Priestess to choose Aurox.

"Aurox, who was once my creation," she muttered to herself. Darkness whipped all around her, the white bull's power. She hated the sight of it now; it was not comforting, nor was it pleasant, but she knew she needed to use the threads in order to convince the white bull she was on his side. So, reluctantly, she grasped the ice-cold threads through her fingers, the freezing cold startling her—they had never been this cold.

Neferet hurled the threads into the bake sale, also using them to conceal herself from any watching eyes. Darkness penetrated the smooth floor of the bake sale and crawled until it found its weakest victim—Mayor LaFont. The mayor and his council, along with a TV crew, had shown up to publicly show the union between humans and vampyres. War between humans and vampyres was what she'd wanted before, so why not make the white bull think it was still her dream?

She knew her plan now. When the bull least suspected, she would escape and destroy the Tsi Sgili. When they were dead, she would call Nyx forth and use the Goddess's help to get the bull to leave her alone. Finally free of Darkness, she would go to Zoey and convince the Priestess to help her. The two would work to stop the chaos magic from working, and they'd all live happily—her with Theseus, and Zoey with whoever she chose.

Neferet's heart ached at the thought of Theseus. She hadn't seen the incantation of her soul mate since that terrible night when everything Light about her had been sucked away. She hoped he was okay—it would be in the white bull's nature to kill him, to hurt Neferet and make her commit to Darkness. And, Neferet realized, to her horror, she would. Darkness's touch would be so much easier to accept if she didn't have the love she had now. If Darkness knew that, why hadn't he killed Theseus?

Neferet made an oath with herself. If Theseus was killed, before Darkness would get to her, she would commit suicide and rid the world of the terror that had been Neferet Englewood.

_Kalona_

"What's wrong? You look nervous." Thanatos played with a strand of his hair, frowning.

"I sense Darkness." Kalona's words stopped her strumming fingers, and her eyes widened. Kalona lowered his voice so the listening humans wouldn't hear him. "It's potent, and powerful. It reeks of Neferet—she must be here."

"She can't be here," Thanatos insisted. "There's no way."

"Why isn't there a way?" Kalona shook his head. "She's been here. I don't think she's here now—the presence would've been stronger—but she has definitely been here. And maybe she'll return. There's power in the air too. Dark magick has been used."

"On who, though?" Thanatos mused.

"I guess we'll find out, though I'd rather know beforehand." Kalona kissed her cheek, causing the nervous lines in her face to smooth out into a (though still somewhat worried) smile. "Don't worry about it. We're here to coexist, so that's what we'll do." He kissed her neck, and the side of her jaw.

"Um, Kalona, I think it's a little too public for that," she breathed, her voice ragged with desire.

He chuckled, removing his lips from her. "Later, then?"

"Later," she agreed, her voice almost eager. "I love you."

The words emerging from her mouth shocked him. Kalona had never heard the words from a female before. Once, briefly, from Zoey, but it had been in a moment when her emotions had been running so high that she'd barely been able to _think _about anything but the way Kalona's body had felt against hers. Other than that, _I love you_ had not been in females' vocabularies when he gave them pleasure. But Thanatos said it all the time. His entire body trembled as he realized what that meant.

And then he said something. The words that came from his lips were shaky, and he murmured them, but he was certain she heard him from the smile on her face, and they were truer than any word he had said. Sure, he'd told Nyx he loved her. But she had not loved him back.

"And I love you," he whispered.

Their lips met in a victorious kiss. Thanatos knotted her fingers in Kalona's hair and they came together, their bodies pressing together. He could feel the warmth in hers and knew that she was lusting after him. Tonight, when they returned to their room, all would be destroyed.

He grinned as they broke apart. "Make sure you prepare for five rounds."

"I will," she said, grinning back as she walked away. He watched her walk. And Kalona knew for certain, more than anything he'd known in his entire existence, at that moment.

Kalona was in love with Thanatos.

_Aphrodite_

_*warning: APHRIUS ahead!*_

Aphrodite's life was over the moment her mother entered the room.

Aphrodite's entire body tensed, and her eyes widened. She felt herself shiver. Her father was with her mother, and the two had walked into the room as a single entity, their shoulders squared, as though nothing could touch them, followed by a crew—she assumed they were the city Council—and a group of camera people, who would put the bake sale's recording on TV. Aphrodite hated them more than anything. She wanted to cross the room and choke her mother, but she managed to hold it together. Darius's fingers threaded through hers.

"It's okay, Priestess," he said firmly. "I will not allow anyone to instill pain on you, and I will defend you—I would even if it meant I had to enter the mouth of hell."

"I know," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he responded, smiling. She realized it was the first time she'd said it first.

Aphrodite's mother caught sight of her, and her eyes widened, pulling her father's hand. Her father looked in the direction her mother was looking, and his eyes widened as well. They walked toward her. Aphrodite backed into Darius and he tightened his group on her.

When the two demons reached her, they smiled as though everything was just wonderfully peachy between them. "Hello, Aphrodite!" her mother squealed, throwing her arms around her child. Aphrodite fought back her disgust as she hugged the woman back. "Oh, my God, where has your Mark gone?"

"Nyx took it. I'm a Prophetess now." Aphrodite smiled, though she didn't feel the smile was genuine enough.

"Wow! So, are you like an honorary fledgling?" Her mother sounded interested. Her interest was so phony Aphrodite wanted to puke.

"Sort of," she admitted. "But I'm still part of the loop, and I'm close to Nyx, and that's what really counts."

"Yes, I'm sure it is." They met eyes and held. Aphrodite tried to channel as much fury and anger as she could in that look. She wanted her mother to know what a raving, conceited, horrible bitch she was, and how much she hated her. Aphrodite would never associate with the woman again.

"And who is this?" Aphrodite's mother gestured toward Darius, and Aphrodite's father nodded at her, smiling.

"This is Darius, my Warrior and boyfriend. Mom—Darius. Darius—Mom. Dad—Darius. Darius—Dad." Aphrodite let real pride seep into her voice now, because if there was one thing she was proud of now, it was the fact that Darius was hers and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

A quick flash of disgust crossed her father's face and faded, replaced by an easygoing grin, but she'd seen it. She'd seen it and she knew how phony his "happiness" was. "How nice to meet you, Darius." He shook hands with her Warrior firmly, as though he wanted to be friends with the boy but didn't want to look _too _friendly, some sternness in his eyes as though he actually cared about who she dated. What a fucking tool.

"The same for you, sir." Darius inclined his head, ever-polite. "I have been waiting to meet you. Aphrodite's told me about you."

"Oh, has she, now?" Aphrodite's mother hugged Darius, and looked questioningly at Aphrodite.

"Yes. I've told him what... _wonderful _parents you are." Victory seeped through her at the anger in her mother's eyes, and she knew her mother knew exactly what she really meant.

"Well, how nice of you," her mother gushed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Mother." This would take the cake. Aphrodite turned around and looked at Darius. A big smile lit up her face. "I love you so much, Darius! You finally met my awesomely cool parents!"

"I love you too, Prophetess. I always will, and you know this already. There's no need for me to declare myself," Darius said smoothly, and their lips met in a kiss. She swore she heard her mother hiss, but that could've just been a delusion. Darius and Aphrodite kissed, and she put all the _real _love shewas feeling into the kiss.

When they broke apart, she turned back to face her parents. They both looked pissed, but they regained composure and smiled at her. "See you later," her father promised.

"Seeya," Aphrodite said. She grinned as her parents walked away, their hands balled into fists.

This was a battle she'd won. And for the first time in a long time, Aphrodite felt happy to see her parents walking away from her.

_Nicole_

Nicole talked to Stark for most of the night. She felt something between the two of them that was unlike anything she'd ever felt. Stark was a true gentleman. He was sweet, funny, smart, and very cocky and cute, which had always been a huge turn-on for her. Zoey was her friend and it didn't feel right for her to steal his man, but she didn't care. She liked Stark.

But did he like her?

They were talking and laughing, and her suspicions were confirmed when he pressed his lips to hers hesitantly. Okay, they'd both been drinking, and were still drinking, so maybe it wasn't an entirely conscious decision. But he still did it. His lips were soft and warm against hers, and she very much liked the kiss. She liked it more than Dallas's kisses, even though it was pointless to compare it to how many kisses _they'd _shared...

_Dallas. _The thought of her ex sent a hatred of men through her soul. Once again, she thought of the vow she'd made that night to herself. She would never allow a man to hurt her again. And how could she let herself love when she could get hurt?

Nicole broke from Stark, pushing him off her. "I'm sorry, Stark. I... I have to go."

"What..." Stark sounded confused, but Nicole didn't respond to him. She turned and ran as fast as she could away from Stark, running out of the bake sale and past Shaylin and Erik, who called after her. But Nicole didn't respond. She _couldn't _respond. She ran down the hallway and into the womens' bathroom that was right there. Luckily, no one was in there.

Nicole stared at herself in the mirror. Stark's many compliments had rang true—she did look pretty tonight. The red dress complimented her tan skin, and her unusual hairstyle was another outstanding feature. She took a deep breath, prepared to tell herself how done she was with boys yet again—and burst out crying.

Nicole slouched to the ground, utterly defeated. She remembered Dallas's hands against her—hitting her out of anger that she wasn't _his _anymore, that she was in the company of Light now. It had happened the other night. She and Dallas had run into each other accidentally when she'd gone back to the House of Night to look at the wreckage—for some reason, the scene calmed her nerves. Dallas had called her a stupid whore and slapped her. She'd punched him in the face, turning and running and crying unbelievably until she'd gotten to her car, where she bawled some more.

The truth was—Nicole wasn't prepared to deal with that from another boy. She was sick of being mistreated—she had all her life. It was over now.

"Nicole?" Shaylin's voice. She sounded close. She walked into the restroom and looked down at Nicole, who was still crying on the floor. "Nicole! What's wrong?" Shaylin helped Nicole up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I... I... I like Stark," she admitted.

"And why is that a bad thing?" Shaylin pressed. "I know he's with Zoey, but the two of them aren't together as much as they were. Not with Aurox around."

"I know... but... I can't... I can't be... be with any other guy!" Nicole shuddered. "It's... too... painful."

"Why?" Shaylin placed a comforting hand on Nicole's shoulder. "Tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Nicole sighed, drying her eyes and calming her sobbing breaths. When she was done sobbing, she told Shaylin everything—Dallas's anger at their breakup, how many times she'd been hurt and how she could never seem to find the right guy. When she finally finished, Shaylin shook her head. "Nicole. You can't do that."

"Do what?" Nicole said, confused.

"That! Be all sensitive about some guy. You're strong on your own. Here." Shaylin pointed right to Nicole's heart. "You're a woman now—a _vampyre_ woman at that. You're supposed to be a priestess, strong, beautiful. Men are supposed to fear and serve _you_, not the other way around."

"I know, but it's just so hard to find a guy who respects me. It seems like all guys are douches." Nicole was specifically referring to Dallas.

"You'll find the right one. If that's Stark, then it'll be Stark. If that's someone else, then you'll find him when the time comes. Trust me. But don't cry because you _think_ you'll get hurt. If you do get hurt, he's not the right one. But just let yourself feel what you feel." Shaylin fixed Nicole's hair and dress as she talked. "You're lucky you wore waterproof mascara. Otherwise you'd be ruined."

Nicole laughed. "I know. Thanks, Shaylin. I'm glad you helped me with this."

"You're welcome. It was no problem." Shaylin grinned. "Now, let's head back to—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the sounds of yelling emerged from the cafeteria. Nicole's eyes widened as she listened.

Someone was arguing.

_Cleopatra_

Cleopatra replayed the scene in her head once more as she clenched her hands into fists. They'd all sat at the table, talking and laughing peacefully, as any other adjoining Councils would. But then, the arrogant wife of the mayor, Aphrodite's mother, had _had_ to say something about the non-importance of the vampyre population—and of course Cleopatra had defended her kind. So now they were arguing.

She yelled at the woman. "You are not one to judge what type of people we are! We are all just trying to get along with your kind and you would do well to accept our kindness!"

"No one wants to be friends with you, you filthy whore," the woman snapped. "You're nothing but a vampyre bitch. Nyx probably hates you."

That was it. "_You will not question who I am to Nyx!" _Cleopatra screamed at the top of her lungs. Anger roared through her body, and she couldn't control herself anymore. She was seeing red. With one last scream, she launched herself at Aphrodite's mother.

Cleopatra did not want to seriously harm the woman—she just wanted to hurt her. Human fists, not magick. So she drove her fist into the woman's face. Blood emerged from her perfect nose job, and she gasped, sending a blow to Cleopatra's stomach. Cleopatra roared and tackled the woman, delivering quick punches to her face. Everyone was watching the fight in shock, screaming and gasping and calling for help. Of course the TV cameras were on them.

But Cleopatra didn't care. The woman had insulted her loyalty to Nyx and she was going to defend herself—whether it was recorded or not.

Finally, strong hands pulled her off the human woman, who was shivering, her face bloody and red. She turned to see who had pulled her off. It was Aurox. The boy was holding her arms behind her back at an angle that was an annoyance. "Release me," she commanded. When he didn't, she shouted, "_release me! _I am no longer angry!" Aurox reluctantly released her arms, and she stood firm and tall.

Oh, no. Cleopatra could feel it. Chaos had claimed her. The magick of it was everywhere, and she could feel it. In that moment where she'd felt that terrible, seething rage, and she'd been so livid she could barely see, chaos had claimed her. _No. _Her body shivered to think about it.

She couldn't explain that to the humans, though—they wouldn't believe her. What was she going to do?

Cleopatra watched as the mayor stood before the camera. Everyone's eyes were on him as he snapped, "Forget any pretenses of a truce between humans and vampyres! We are now at war!" Cleopatra's eyes widened, but he continued. "The People of Faith we've gathered from around the world will serve as our army against the vampyres! I will have them go to the ruins of the House of Night in three days for our first battle! It is done, and there is no revoking it!" The mayor's face was red. He turned, walking away.

"Cleopatra!" Alithea snapped, walking up to her. "What have you done? This is exactly the kind of thing we were supposed to be defusing!"

"Chaos claimed me," Cleopatra whispered, and Alithea's mouth fell open with shock. "I was not acting as myself. Chaos magick claimed me."

"But..." Alithea nodded. "Neferet. Neferet is the only vampyre who would have control of such powerful magick, as Darkness himself is her Consort. She did it."

"That means she was here!" Cleopatra couldn't believe it. Neferet had entered the bake sale. All the hard work they'd spent trying to defuse the unrest between humans and vampyres had gone for nothing.

Cleopatra watched the human Council storm out of the room, all affected by chaos magic. She watched the vampyres talk about what affect this would have on the future.

Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she fainted.

...

**Chaos is brewing in the House of Night! Cleopatra and Aphrodite's mom had a fight, and now the mayor hates vampyres again! But it's all due to chaos magick, which Neferet unknowingly sent into the bake sale. Also, Nicole/Stark (Sticole?) had a kiss (even though they were both drunk for it), and Stephaim and Aphrius had some character development. We actually don't see too much of Zoey in this chapter, which is exactly the angle I was going for. I hope you liked it!**

**Also, I've updated **_**Titanic Vampire Remix—**_**I know it's been a long time, but I've updated now and you guys have **_**got **_**to read the new chapter. I hope I impress you with that one too. **

**See you next chapter, which should pick up right where this one left off. How will Zoey and her circle deal with the consequences of Cleopatra's actions? :)**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

_Zoey_

We were all sitting at the big table in the center of the room, Stevie Rae's family and Sister Mary Angela included. Everyone was talking at the same time, and their voices seemed to blend together, which sounded really annoying. Eventually I stood on top of my chair, yelling, "Can you guys be quiet for a second?"

Everyone shut up and looked at me. When I had all their attention, I continued, sitting. "We have a lot to work on here, obviously. Neferet has stirred up chaos magick that caused a fight between a vampyre and human, and caused the mayor to declare war on our kind. He said the People of Faith would come for us in three days, and none of us really knows how to defend ourselves."

"We have our elements," Stevie Rae said softly.

"Yeah, but not everyone has an element affinity," Shaylin said. "Most of us do, but not all. And I'm pretty sure no one wants to kill off a bunch of humans."

"Well, if they mess us up, we 'gon have to kill 'em, right?" Jordan snapped.

"Right," Aphrodite agreed.

"Aphrodite, _you _a human," Kramisha pointed out. "Ain't you supposed to be on they side?"

"No," she snapped. "If I were on the human side, do you think I'd be here right now?"

"She has a point," I said. "Nyx obviously wants her on our side."

"Exactly," Aphrodite agreed, smiling at me like I'd finally made her happy. I wanted to take it back.

"Well, whatever the reason, we know Aphrodite's on our side," Stevie Rae said. "Continued."

"I quit the People of Faith a few weeks ago," Stevie Rae's dad said quietly. Her family hadn't been speaking, and I'd almost forgotten they were there. "Their ways are too damn selfish to be righteous. They wanna rid the world of vampyres so _they _can have less enemies and 'demonic influences'." He shuddered. "I think they've been inflicted with that chaos magick y'all keep talkin' about."

"It's possible," Alithea admitted. "Chaos magick has a very strong effect on humans, so powerful that it may last for weeks."

"So you're saying if we lose this battle, they'll just keep coming back for more?" Nicole cried.

"Yes, that's exactly what she's saying," Stark answered. Alithea nodded.

Nicole paled, and Stark put his arm around her shoulder, reassuring her. I hadn't even known Nicole and Stark were friends. A pang of jealousy went through me. He never touched _me _like that anymore.

"Then we fight." Aurox's voice was hard. "I won't let them hurt you guys." He threaded his fingers through mine under the table, and I felt a little better.

"Aww, Aurox," Aphrodite gushed. "Thanks a lot, brother."

"No problem, sis," he said, grinning at her. He looked at me and his grin faded. "Zoey."

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

I realized Aurox and I hadn't really had a conversation since the night before. "Nothing. I'm just... stressed."

"What are you stressed about?" he asked, playing with a strand of my hair. Across the table, I saw Stark's eyes tighten.

It hurt, living like this. Every time I did something with Aurox, Stark got upset. Every time I did something with Stark, Aurox got upset, even though he was less open about it. I would always be hurting somebody, no matter what I did. I was a monster.

I swallowed and answered Aurox. "Well, nothing much. I'm tired. Worried about the prophecy in my tattoos. Worried that we'll lose this battle, and I'll lose you guys. I'm worried."

"Don't be," Aurox told me. "You shouldn't be. Zoey, I have faith in you. Your Nyx's High Priestess, and you're connected to her in a way no other fledgling or vampyre has been. You won't let us down."

I smiled at Aurox. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Zoey. I love you."

The way he said the words, so carelessly even though everyone was watching and listening to us, surprised me. I realized Aurox didn't care who was watching. He loved me—and he wanted the whole world to know it. The look in his eyes was scary as he regarded me.

"I... I love you too," I whispered. I felt surprise at myself. How could I openly answer him? Maybe it was because I did, and it was that simple. It had always been that simple with Stark and I. So why couldn't it be that simple with Aurox?

He grinned, his face lighting up. "That's all I need to hear to know that this battle is going to turn out okay."

"And that proves my point again," Stark said. I turned to look at him. His face was full of pain, but no longer anger. There was sadness in his eyes. "You love her, and you love her better than I do."

"Stark..." I started to say, but he held up a hand. "It's okay, Zoey. I know you're choosing him. I can see it in your eyes."

"Stark..." I whispered. I stood, walking to where Stark was sitting, not caring that everyone was watching us. Before Stark could say anything, I pressed my lips to his hesitantly. The kiss was full of the old fire we were used to, and it didn't hurt as much to kiss him as it usually did. When we broke apart, I mused silently in my head. Why had I kissed Stark? I was only causing myself—and Aurox, for that matter—more pain.

"I knew you would kiss me." Stark smiled sadly.

"How?" I whispered.

"Because, Zoey. I'm in pain. You only notice me when I'm in pain, because my pain hurts you." He shook his head. "It's okay."

"I..." I felt defeated. Not knowing what else to say, I slowly returned to my seat.

"Basically, you're torn," Aphrodite said. I stared at her, surprised. "You're impossibly torn between Stark and Aurox." Her voice sounded kind, more kind than it ever had.

"Yes," I admitted in a low whisper.

"Exactly." Aphrodite stared at Aurox. "I want you to be with Aurox."

"Why?" I asked her.

"Because. I see the way you glow when you're with him. It reminds me of how happy you were when Heath was around, even if you didn't want to admit it." Aphrodite smiled. "So be with my brother, Zoey."

"I say Stark," Stevie Rae said. "Zoey and Stark are like one and one. They equal two. And they're so darn cute together."

"Yeah, Zoey, you should be with Stark," Mrs. Johnson said, smiling at me. "I think you're happier with him than you are with Aurox."

"I like Aurox better," Mr. Johnson muttered.

I couldn't believe people were actually giving me suggestions on who they wanted me to be with. But I didn't object, listening to the suggestions.

"Stark," Shaylin said. "You two go together like glue."

"I say Aurox," Erik said. "Aurox and Zoey seem happier together than Stark and Zoey. It seems like you have a lot of relationship problems with Stark."

"I agree," Rephaim said. "Aurox."

"Aurox," Nicole said softly, though she could have just been saying that because _she _wanted Stark.

"I think you should pick Stark," Alithea admitted. "The relationship between the two of you seems more natural."

"I agree," Cleopatra said, nodding and surprising me.

"I believe you should be with Stark," Sister Mary Angela argued. "He has sacrificed so much for you, and for you to give him up like that—it wouldn't be worthwhile."

"Yeah, but you gotta remember her and Heath been together for most of they lives," Kramisha disagreed, shaking her head. "I say Aurox. Nyx brought him back for a reason."

"I don't know either of y'all that much, but I see how Zoey lookin' at you, Stark. I think she love you more than she lettin' on. So 'ima say Stark," Jordan said.

Kalona stared at me for a long moment. I remembered when we'd been together, and when we'd slept together—_that _had been a dizzying experience. But his Imprint with Thanatos had showed me that he did care about her, more than he was letting on. So I'd lost feelings for him. Kalona and I hadn't really interacted since I'd returned from the Otherworld, but I knew he still had feelings for me and was doing his best to avoid them for my sake. "Zoey, you know how I feel about your love life. But if I had to choose, I would say Aurox. The look on your face when I killed Heath—you looked as if I'd just ripped your heart out. That is pure love. I know pure love when I see it. I will never stop owing you for that moment." Kalona looked sincerely sorry.

I took a deep breath as Thanatos spoke. "I have seen true love before, too. And I know that there is love between you and Aurox; however, choosing Stark would be best for you. Your heart longs for him—if it didn't, you wouldn't have gotten upset when you saw how pained he was. Choose him."

All the sudden declarations made my heart feel like they'd all stepped on it. None of them had helped me any, except maybe Kalona's. I was still confused and in love with both of them. I still didn't know what to do.

Stark's eyes flashed—had I been hallucinating, or had I seen red in their depths?—with pain. "Zoey, be happy," he whispered. "Choose whoever you'll be happy with. If that's me, then so be it. If that's Aurox—be with Aurox."

"I agree," Aurox said, surprising me. "Be happy, Zoey."

Everyone was smiling at me—except Stark—and I felt overwhelmed by the immense pressure of the choice I was making. If I didn't choose Stark, who knew what would happen? Maybe he'd be happy with Nicole, maybe he wouldn't. That wasn't something we could see until that time came. And if I chose Aurox, who said _I _would be happy?

"I'm not prepared to make that choice yet." I spoke with finality. "I still need time to think. Stark, you and I need to talk in private. Can you guys leave us for a second?"

Pain flashed across Aurox's face, but he nodded. "Come on, guys." He rose to his feet, barely looking at me, and walked out of the room. Aphrodite stared after him before following him. Soon after that, the room was empty, and Stark and I were alone.

"Hey." I smiled sadly at him.

His eyes looked confused, as if he didn't know where this conversation was going, but he replied. "Hey. What's up?"

"I want to tell you something, Stark." I leaned forward, crossing the table and placing my hands over where his were resting. His body jerked in surprise but didn't move away. "I know that there's something going on with you and Nicole. Don't lie. Admit it."

"No," he shot back. "She and I are just friends. I'm telling you. There's..." Stark looked away and closed his eyes.

"There's what?"

"Nothing," he promised. "Nicole and I are friends. I'm not saying it couldn't develop into more, but for right now we're just friends."

"Well, let it develop into more." His eyes widened in surprise, but I continued anyway. "I don't want you to be unhappy if I choose Aurox. I want you to have another option."

"What about him?" he demanded. "What if you choose me? Who's going to be his back-up?"

"He's handsome. I'm sure he can find someone else," I answered immediately, though my voice sounded confused, as if I didn't believe myself.

"Zoey, I think you need to admit that you're not going to choose me." Stark smiled sadly at me, squeezing my hands; his hands were warm, and the warmth of his touch made me feel comfortable with him for the first time—finally at home. I stared into his eyes, hopelessly in love with him. Stark was acting like himself again—not the pissed, spoiled, and selfish Stark he'd been for most of my time back from the Otherworld. He was acting like the Stark who was truly in love with me. This was the Stark I could identify with.

"I won't," I whispered. "I will. I don't know who I'll choose, Stark. But what I do know is, even though I love him, I love you. And that's all that counts."

"Zoey," he whispered.

I couldn't control the sudden feelings I was having for Stark anymore. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. This time, the kiss did not taste of anguish, of pain. It was soft and sweet, and very gentle. I kissed Stark like I kissed Aurox, my lips moving slowly in time with his, unable to break away from him, unable to let him go. And I knew in that moment that I'd been right. That I was still in love with Stark. Too. But the realization didn't help clarify my decision, or make it any less painful. If anything, the realization only made it worse.

I closed my eyes and drew back slowly from Stark, refusing to open them. I was in love with Stark. It was my deepest dream and my worst nightmare, put together. I'd long known I was in love with Aurox—my love for him had been what had caused my soul to heal and me to return to Earth, to Tulsa with my family. And he reminded me so much of Heath that I found myself losing what percentage of him was _him _and what percentage was Aurox. I'd known I was in love with Stark before Aurox—the events in the Otherworld had proved that. I realized there was a pattern. The first time my soul had shattered, it had been because Heath had died, and Stark had been the only one able to save me; yet when Neferet's Darkness had eaten away at my soul, Stark's Dark heart had been too angry, leaving Aurox to be the only one willing—the only one _able_—to save me. And while I'd been in the Otherworld, I'd been with Heath. What did that mean for my relationships with them?

Goddess, this was all making my head hurt. I rubbed my temples, frustrated. My entire body shivered as tears started to brim from my eyes. I was _not _about to cry about this. Yet I couldn't stop myself from sobbing as the tears rolled down my face.

Stark was prepared with Kleenex, one in his pocket. He smiled sadly as he wiped the tears from my eyes, and the snot from my nose. "You know, I'll never be tired of doing this. I feel like Heath when I do it."

"Thanks," I told him, smiling sadly.

"_Mo bann ri, _even if you choose Aurox, I will always love you." He kissed my palm softly, his lips feeling so soft and warm against my hand that I shivered. "And you'll always be my queen."

"I love you too, Stark," I vowed. "Forever."

Stark rose to his feet and walked away without a backward glance. He left me sitting there, dazed and confused and completely unsure who I would choose.

I wanted Stark _so bad. _

I couldn't give up Aurox; I loved him.

_This was the hardest decision I'd ever had to make in all seventeen years of my life. _

I stared at the space where Stark had walked for a long moment. Then I put my head in my hands, took a deep breath, and sighed, feeling the tears running down my cheeks. And I cried—not for Aurox, but for Stark.

_Stark_

Stark was trying to keep his cool. It was the best thing to do. He wanted to turn around and run back to Zoey and beg her to choose him. But his heart was too broken—his mind scattered—and all he could think about was how much he wanted her. And what did he feel for Nicole? During the bake sale, they'd talked, and he really liked her, even though they'd agreed to be just friends. He'd kissed her, of course. He remembered the kiss. He'd been drunk, but he'd kissed her.

Stark barely knew Nicole. And Zoey was his _bann ri_—his Ace, his vampyre queen. He loved her with everything in him—and that was significantly more than some crush he had on Nicole. He sighed. His head was hurting. He _hated _this!

Stark felt the hair on his forearms raise, as though someone was behind him. He turned around, and gasped. Neferet was standing there. She looked different somehow—the red in her green eyes had faded away. She didn't say anything, extending her hand. Darkness melted over Stark. He couldn't do anything as the Darkness traveled along his body.

Chaos magick.

Suddenly, Stark _wanted _the danger. He _wanted _the angst, the pain, the mistrust.

"Come with me?" Neferet asked.

Stark smiled. "Yes, I'll come with you."

He took Neferet's outstretched hand and, not glancing back in the direction of the cafeteria, walked with her into the Darkness.

...

**I've been very quick with my updates recently, as I'm eager to get to the climax. Zoey/Stark in this chapter. A little Zoey/Aurox, but not much. I'm soooo torn! I don't know who Zoey will choose, and her dilemma is affecting me as much as it's affecting her. **

**See you guys soon! What do you think will happen to Stark? : )**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

_Lenobia_

She wasn't very good at reading emotions, but Lenobia could feel the distress and tension radiating off of Travis—and he wasn't exactly a distressed or tense person. It was starting to scare her. And he was pretending nothing was wrong with him, which was making it somewhat worse.

She crossed the stables to him. His eyes betrayed everything—their guilt and reluctance to share his true feelings gave him away. She pressed her hands to either side of his face, her tone gentle. "What's wrong, Travis?"

"I... It's nothing." He sighed, as if it was taking a toll on him to lie to her. And he wasn't sure _why _he was lying to her.

"Tell me," she insisted. "I love you, Travis. You should be able to tell me anything."

"She... She died." Travis's voice broke, as his lips quivered and she watched tears threaten to spill over in his eyes. She had never, ever seen Travis Foster cry or even look remotely depressed—unless he wasn't with her. "She's dead, Lenobia. She's dead."

"Who?" Lenobia demanded. "Your mother?"

A slight shake of his head indicated that wasn't who he was talking about. "No. My sister."

"You have a sister?" Lenobia gasped.

"Yeah." He stared at the ground. "She and I were separated when we were born—she went to live with my dad while I stayed with my mom. I never saw much of her, only on certain weekends. But I loved her, _cherie._" Travis had picked up Martin's nickname for her a while ago. "I loved her—still do love her. And now she's gone. My dad called me yesterday." His tone was slightly disgusted, as if his father was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"I'm assuming you and your father don't have a good relationship?" she guessed.

The corners of his mouth turned down slightly. "It's a little worse than that. He hates me. Thinks I should've never been born."

Lenobia gasped. "How could someone say such hurtful things to you?"

"Oh, he doesn't care that he's hurting me. He _wants _to, even." Travis shrugged, pain evident in his voice. "But I don't really mind. I just dealt with him because my sister acted like she was so scared of him. It took me a while to realize the bastard was raping her."

Lenobia's eyes widened. "When did you realize this?"

"About a year before I moved out. The signs were everywhere. She had bruises all over her body, and she was always drinking. And she never brought over any guys. I knew she was being raped." His voice turned sad again. "I never did anything about it. I feel worse than him, Lenobia. I sat by and _watched her get raped, _and I didn't do anything about it. And now she's dead and I'd bet my life he killed her."

"How did he say she died?"

"He told me she was in a drunk car accident, but I know my sister better than that. She wouldn't even _go outside _if she was drinking. Apart from the fact that she stopped driving a few months back." Travis's eyes were furious—there was no forgiveness in them. He wanted blood. His father's blood.

"Is your father one of the People of Faith?" she asked softly.

Travis stiffened. "Yes. How'd you know that?"

"I didn't—I was guessing." Lenobia turned her eyes to the rising sun in the window. "The People of Faith are coming for us in two days. They're coming armed, and they're coming to kill. Maybe your father will be among them. This could be your chance for revenge against him. And who knows? Maybe you'll even be the one to kill him."

It was all she could promise Travis in that moment, the only thing that would satiate his hungry need to kill, the need to devour and rip and bite. And it worked. His hungry eyes seemed to soften, staring into hers. The adoring gaze she knew so well finally returned, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, _cherie. _I didn't mean for my emotions to get so wild."

"It's okay," she said softly, moving closer to him. Closeness always calmed him down—the contrast between their bodies was vivid, but yet it was the only thing that kept them close. "You'll be fine. You'll kill him, Travis. And then _you _will have won—not him."

"Thank you, Lenobia, girl," Travis said softly. He moved closer to her, until they were almost pressed together. Lenobia could feel that flood of warmth she always felt when she was near him, the reassurance that Martin truly did reside in his soul, as if the nickname _cherie _wasn't enough.

Lenobia and Travis had assumed a modern version of what she'd had with Martin. They'd acknowledged that they were together, but never took it farther than that. She was still getting used to the fact that this man was Martin reincarnated. It wasn't hard to believe—they acted so similar and _looked _so similar that it was ridiculous—but she still had doubts, had trouble believing that one woman could really be so lucky.

And if Travis wasn't Martin reincarnated, he sure was close. She had never told him about Martin's nickname for her, but he'd picked it up anyway, as well of a lot of the memories they'd shared back in those days. It was almost like she was with Martin himself again, instead of a reincarnation of him. The thought, as always, brought tears to her eyes.

She stared at Travis for a long moment, watching as he rose to his feet. He looked... strange. Tears brimmed in his eyes, as if he was about to do something he'd been waiting to do for a long time. Then he sank to the floor, one knee still raised. Lenobia felt it in her soul what was coming, but part of her was still stunned, still staring at him with confusion. But the humanity in her knew the custom—humans had been doing it for years. However, a human and vampyre had never been so deeply in love. A human and vampyre had never had the connection she had with Travis.

He stared up at her for a long moment before speaking. "Lenobia, girl. We've been goin' out for some time now. We've had sex—"she blushed at his offhand use of the comment—"and we're closer than any other vampyre and human have ever been. I know we're meant to be together, 'cause Martin's inside me and he's not going anywhere anytime soon. That being said, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" she whispered softly, even though she knew exactly what Travis was going to ask her.

He blushed softly, but continued. "Lenobia, girl, I ask you this: would you marry me? Would you be my wife forever, even though it isn't exactly your peoples' custom?"

Lenobia stared at him, eyes wide, mouth agape. She'd known this was what he would ask her, but it shocked her all the same. Being married to a human... it was something she would've cringed away from years ago, but now the idea didn't seem so repellent to her. Sure, he would die eventually. Sure, he would get old. But she would love him all the same, and her love for him would never fade. And who knew? Maybe she would be dead by then—or maybe she'd follow him into death herself. Whatever suited her.

So Lenobia took a deep breath, and smiled sadly at Travis. "Yes, Travis. Yes. I'll marry you."

Travis let out a joyous shout and threw his arms around her. Their embrace was tight and warm and Lenobia knew beyond all doubt that they would be married soon. She was almost giddy, thinking of dresses and hairstyles and walking down the aisle to the man who would be promised to her forever.

Yes, a wedding didn't sound bad at all.

_Neferet_

Neferet stared down at Stark, trying to telegraph the regret in her eyes. She was sorry. Sorry she had to put him through this, sorry that he and Zoey couldn't just have the happily ever after they'd always wanted. Sorry that she had to keep hurting her—her, who'd once been a daughter to her. She didn't want this for Zoey, but she knew it was what she'd have to do to convince the white bull she was on his side, even though she wasn't.

So she took a deep breath and stared into Stark's eyes. The red fledglings had long had the ability to compel people. They had no official title for it, but Neferet called it compulsion. It was her way of getting what she wanted. No matter how beautiful she was, people didn't just fall for her spell. She'd had the ability of compulsion since she'd been Marked; it had been one of her affinities, one she hadn't even known about until she'd been introduced to Dark magick. Then, the white bull had taught her everything she needed to know about it, and she learned it was based in Light as well as Darkness. So now she knew how to use it. It didn't work on everyone—Zoey and her circle were prime examples—but Neferet hoped with everything in her soul that it would work on Stark. It had worked on him earlier, when she'd convinced him to come with her. But its results had faded, and he almost looked normal again.

Neferet knew the boy was pure. His soul was good, despite the Darkness that had come with his resurrection. His eyes were full of fear—fear that he would have to return to that. Neferet was so sorry for all the pain she'd caused. She'd make up for it later. But now... she had to continue. Neferet took a deep breath and spoke to Stark, putting all her power into the words. "Stark. You and I are the same. We're both time bombs, dedicated to the Darkness inside us. We're alike, Stark. You need me, and I need you. Give this pretense of love with Zoey Redbird up, and be with me. Be with me, Stark." Neferet moved forward and kissed Stark's cheek. The kiss was devoid of any romance, but it was more of a symbolical kiss—passing the Darkness over to him. It was an extra effort to ensure that the spell worked. Finally, Stark blinked, and his eyes seemed to glaze over. As if in a trance, he muttered, "Yes, Priestess. I'll be with you." Hatred sparked in his eyes, and he snarled, "I want to kill Zoey Redbird."

"As do I," Neferet lied. "Do not worry, Stark. We'll get to her. First, we have to move you closer to the Darkness... prepare you." Neferet pressed her hand against Stark's chest and gasped at the Darkness stinging her hand. She wasn't used to being on the side of Light yet, and the fact that she was now balm to Darkness's touch still scared her, but she kept calm. She tried to channel as much chaos as she could from the white bull, imagining it flowing out of her and into him.

It worked. Stark screamed as the seductive, night-colored wings ripped from the back of his shirt. His shirt seemed to rip off, leaving him shirtless. His body was drenched in sweat, and more muscular than Neferet ever remembered. With a start, the Priestess realized he actually looked like Kalona.

"Beautiful..." she murmured. Her heartbeat almost faltered as she remembered how beautiful Kalona was _now. _Oh, he was so sexy. His white wings, that sexy smile, his muscular bodice... Neferet longed for his arms to be around her, even though she knew the desire was irrational; he belonged to Thanatos now. And wasn't her whole betrayal to Darkness based on Theseus? Theseus, who was just as beautiful as Kalona—maybe more?

Stark's muscles flexed tightly, and he screamed again as the wings continued to grow. They were in the penthouse, a room that had been cleared out—Theseus was nowhere to be found. She hadn't heard from him or seen him since the white bull had taken her away from the penthouse last. She hoped he was safe.

Stark's wings finally reached completion, and he looked up. To both her surprise and horror, his eyes were now amber-colored—the same color Kalona's had been. Neferet knew it would take about a week for the Darkness to completely set in, maybe less than that, but he was well on his way to becoming immortal. And once immortality fully crossed his soul, there was no going back—and he wouldn't _want _to go back, Neferet knew.

Sylvia Redbird watched from across the room, eyes wide. The earth had surrounded her, and was acting as a protective cage. Neferet's sympathy for the old woman had outweighed any desire to prove anything to the white bull, so she'd left her unbound. That, and the fact that she couldn't _use _Darkness anymore anyway. Zoey's grandmother believed Neferet was pure, true evil.

Neferet faltered, watching Sylvia.

She shook her head and turned her eyes back to Stark. There was no time for this—nor was this the place for it. The white bull was surely watching over her. She knew it was true when she heard his rumble of pleasure from inside her mind: _good job, my heartless one..._

_ His heartless one..._

If he was back to calling her that, it meant she was back in his good graces. Neferet's heart soared. She was well on her way to doing what she had to do. But she thought no more of this, turning her eyes back to Stark. He grinned at her.

"We're going to kill Zoey, right?"

Neferet's heart shattered when she spoke the next word, but she couldn't afford to be sympathetic now. She had to keep her charade up for as long as possible—until the People of Faith descended on the House of Night. And so she smiled, letting the threads of Darkness from the white bull lap up around her and bite into her, taking whatever they liked.

"Right."

_Rephaim_

Rephaim lay in bed, inches away from the realm of dreams. Stevie Rae was in his arms, and she looked... and felt... more beautiful than ever. He was holding fast to her, knowing that soon, he would have to help her learn to fight. Rephaim didn't need any training, but Stevie Rae was going to need all the help she could get. Not that she wasn't satisfying with her element. He smiled as he remembered her defending him against the vile red fledglings.

He tried to fight the sleep within him, but it beckoned to him, calling him to heed its will. He murmured, "Goodnight, Stevie Rae. I love you."

He thought she whispered, "I love you too," before he went under.

When he left his body and went to the realm of dreams, he was surprised to see Kalona standing there. Kalona had not invaded his dreams in a long time, since they'd been in Italy, and finally he was doing it again. "Father," he regarded coolly. His relationship with his father had been tense and uneasy since he'd learned the truth about his birth—which still wasn't entirely clear to him.

"Rephaim." Kalona dipped his head in acknowledgement to his son but otherwise said nothing. Rephaim felt the heat of fury and anger building up in his chest. Silence was almost worse than a lie sometimes. At least lying required some behavior.

Rephaim squared his shoulders. He didn't often stand up to his father, but he was about to now. He was sick of the lying—tired of the games. "Father, why was I born human? Why was I not born a Raven Mocker like the rest of my brothers?"

Kalona fell silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke again, it was so low Rephaim almost didn't hear him. "You were closer to Nyx than any of the rest of them. Nyx was showing the world a glimpse of what you had the power to become. Your mother was a wonderful woman. She was a Ghigua, the town's Wise Woman. She helped create A-ya. Her name was Reyna. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, apart from Nyx herself." Kalona looked thoughtful. "All I knew in that moment was rape and pain and sex, but the sex with your mother was different. I seduced her, and we had sex, but I actually came back for more with her. I believed I could have a future with her. Then I realized—I was more interested in her than she was in me. I tried to kill her, furious that she did not bestow interest to me. She ran from the town, and only came back once you had been born. And human you were. I killed her then—and in her death, you became a Raven Mocker."

"And so I stayed for thousands of years," Rephaim murmured. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kalona was almost smiling now. "If I'd have told you, would it really have made any difference? You still would have been on the side of Darkness."

"No," Rephaim argued vehemently. "I would have tried. You of all people should know I never enjoyed the lifestyle we lived; yet I put up with it because it was the only lifestyle I knew."

Kalona was silent for a long time, so long Rephaim almost thought he wouldn't answer. Then, finally, Kalona said, "You should have asked." And he turned, walking away and leaving Rephaim the same as he'd been since his birth: confused and alone.

...

**Hey guys! I'm sorry it took so long to update. I finished the chapter a while ago, but lost it because my computer was malfunctioning. I took it in to get it fixed, and then I had to retype the chapter. The last passage was actually from Erik's point of view in the last draft, but I liked Rephaim's story better. And Lenobia's part was wayyy shorter, but I added the backstory with his dad to make it a little longer. How did you like it?**

** If you haven't read Hidden Updated Version, you should check it out. I'm working on the eighth chapter for that, and it's a **_**blast **_**revisiting an old story and breathing some life into it. I added a lot of drafts that were taken out of the first one; to be honest, I'm not sure why I took them out. They make the story better. **

** Happy Valentine's Day, and enjoy your love affair... :) I have a chapter coming up that features a **_**lot **_**of action and romance, and it stars ZOROX, STEPHAIM and APHRIUS... so I think you'll like it. Hopefully I can update before Valentine's Day.**

** See you as soon as possible!**

** XOXO,**

** Casey**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Stevie Rae_

This was one of those rare times when she wished she and Rephaim _weren't _together at this moment.

She stood with him, Zoey, Aurox, Shaunee, Nisroc, Kramisha, Jordan, Shaylin, Erik, and Aphrodite. Darius and Erebus stood in front of them. They were standing in front of the ruins of the House of Night—the open fields where the campus had been were, Darius proclaimed, a good place to practice. They were training. Of course, Aurox and Rephaim didn't need it, but the rest of them needed to learn how to fight with swords, and Darius, being a Son of Erebus Warrior, was probably the best person to teach it. Erebus himself was here. Kalona and Thanatos had gone into Tulsa to see the magnitude of the unrest towards vampyres, so they weren't here, but Erebus was here. Stevie Rae had never paid attention to Erebus, but she saw now—he was so _beautiful! _His chin-length blond hair and perfect, muscular body reminded her of Chris Hemsworth. His sexy lips curved up into a smile as he took them in now, and his beautiful (yet strange) gold eyes studied them.

"You want to learn how to fight?" They nodded. "I can teach you a few basic defense skills, seeing as we don't have much time to prepare for this. You all know the exact position to hold a sword, right?"

When he saw their dumbstruck looks, he grinned and continued. "You hold it like this," he instructed. He removed the sword from its sheath and raised it. He held it so that his hand was completely wrapped around it. "When you're driving it into the heart or wherever of your opponent, you want to make sure you tighten your grip. You'll get the best results from twisting the sword a little—it flays the organ you've stabbed. Don't look them in the eye—you'll feel remorse if you see their pain. Especially since you all are so new to the vampyre world."

"Okay, so can we practice now?" Aphrodite spoke only to Darius, like she didn't want to let herself be drawn in by Erebus's hotness. "I'm kinda hungry and tired."

"Actually, my beauty..." Darius hesitated before continuing. "I'm not sure if you should be allowed to fight."

Aphrodite's eyes almost bulged out of her face. "What the hell do you mean 'you don't know if I should be allowed to fight'?" she snapped. "Of course I'm fucking fighting! What am I gonna do, just sit on the fucking sidelines? Skip around the battle and have visions about each one of your deaths?" Her eyes blazed. Stevie Rae had never seen Aphrodite this pissed.

Erebus spoke up. "Actually, I think we should let her fight. Most of their opponents will be human anyway. It's not like she's going to lose against another human." Darius looked like he wanted to protest, but Erebus continued. "She has less chance of losing than even the fledglings."

"He has a point," Rephaim said. "It's more likely she'll win than lose."

Darius was quiet for a long moment, considering it. Then he frowned and nodded softly, like Aphrodite fighting was the last thing he wanted to consider. "Then I won't stop her."

Aphrodite's face softened. Stevie Rae wanted to gasp, but she kept her composure. She had _never, ever _seen Aphrodite's face soften since she'd met the girl. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Darius said solemnly, his eyes tight with fear. The one thing he feared most: Aphrodite dying in battle. Stevie Rae could see it in his eyes. But he was going to have to get over it. If Aphrodite was going to be able to defend herself, at least. Stevie Rae knew, in that moment, that Aphrodite truly was in love with Darius. That no matter how indifferent she tried to act, she cared about him and didn't want to lose him. That nothing could ever come between them.

"Not to be mean, but can we stop the melodrama?" Shaylin said. "I kinda want to learn how to stab someone."

"She's right," Rephaim agreed, before Aphrodite could snap. "We need to be practicing. We don't have much time to waste."

Erebus nodded. "As I was saying, tighten your grip on the sword and plunge it in. The look of awe on your opponent's face is suspension of disbelief—they don't want to believe they were actually stabbed, and they're numb to the pain, but they see a sword sticking through them. Don't pay any attention to it. After a few seconds, remove your sword."

"Okay, but how do we actually go about stabbing them?" She was surprised that it was Zoey who asked the question. Her eyes were fierce and determined, almost hungry with bloodlust.

"You tighten your grip and aim at the spot. I'll tell you right now—you won't hit their heart exactly, if that's where you go. You'll always miss. Even if you're close, you'll always miss. It takes years of practice to make your mark. So aim, and send the sword at them as hard as possible. You'll have to pass bone and tissue and blood, so be prepared for the filth."

Zoey nodded, as if she understood now. "I want to practice."

"Zoey... you want to practice already? Calm down. It's not that serious," Aurox pleaded. "Just take it all in."

"No," she snapped. "There's no calming down. It _is _that serious. When I'm lying dead on the ground, will you be saying that?" When he didn't respond, she continued. "Exactly. So I'm going to learn this, and I'm going to learn it right."

She turned toward Erebus, stretching her hand out for the sword. "Let's start."

Erebus moved toward her, handing her the sword. "Now, let's practice. They'll probably have stakes or holy water or some other type of mundane weapons. I'm running at you, my "stake" positioned toward your heart. What do you do?" Not giving her the chance to answer, he ran at her, his arms in the air, a wild look in his eyes. Zoey stared at him, frightened. Suddenly, anger appeared on her face, a goddess betrayed. Without warning, she shot the sword directly at the point in his chest—his heart. Erebus stopped just short of being stabbed. He stared at her appreciatively.

"You have the instinct for battle," he complimented. "You have no remorse for your enemy. It's a gift from Nyx, I'm sure. You don't need any training. You're already ready."

Zoey gaped, her eyes wide. "Really?"

"For this, yes. For anything else? You do need to be trained, but you're more than ready to fight a bunch of humans. Your instincts are good." He nodded to her, then turned to the rest of them. "If you know how to fight, step back. I want time with the rest of them." He had an almost evil gleam in his eyes, and Stevie Rae had a feeling he was about to push them as far as they could go.

An hour later, she was flat on her back, breathing hard. Her skin was pink and sweating, and Rephaim was next to her. She'd had to fight him as a lesson that you couldn't be sympathetic to your enemy, and he'd attacked her so many times it wasn't funny. Rephaim wasn't holding back with her. That was what she loved about him.

She rose to her feet weakly and tightened her grip on the sword, turning back to Rephaim. "Again," she commanded.

"Stevie Rae... are you sure you want to continue?" he said, almost sympathetic. "We can stop if you—"

"No!" she snapped. Rephaim cringed away from the power in her voice, but otherwise remained impassive. She tried to calm her tone and tried again. "No. Let's go again."

He nodded slightly and squared his shoulders, tensing his body for battle. Stevie Rae lifted her sword and charged at him, taking him by surprise. Sword raised, she charged at him, angry that she just couldn't get this, that a human could catch her off guard like Rephaim had so many times. She sliced with the sword. Rephaim jumped back. He raised his sword, and she blocked his strike. Using strength she hadn't known she had, Stevie Rae lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. She pinned him and pressed the sword to his neck—a gesture that would have killed him if they'd been serious.

They were both breathing hard. She suddenly realized: _she was on top of him. _She was on top of him, and she was closer to him than she'd been recently. His body was muscular and hard under hers. He seemed to be aware of her closeness, too. His eyes looked almost hungry—like he wanted to tear her clothes off right then and there.

She stood, shivering as the soft wind blew against her. The night sky was clear, and the almost-full moon was directly in the center of the sky. She wondered if midnight was like noon, and that was when both were aligned perfectly. She stared down at Rephaim, who was rising to his feet. He stared into her eyes. "You got it."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Stevie Rae was glad he'd finally lost control. She couldn't contain herself around him—she loved him _so much _that her other desires were almost feeble. She wanted him more than she wanted air to breathe. She didn't care if she died, as long she died with him.

She closed her eyes when the kiss broke, feeling the power of Rephaim's love deep in her soul. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too." He grinned. "You know that I'm not going to let you die, right? Even if you couldn't fight, I'd save you. Beast saves the beauty."

"You still think that?" Stevie Rae murmured. She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Rephaim, we're equals. I don't view you as any lower than you are. I love you, and that's all that counts."

They kissed again; this time, the kiss was soft and sweet. His lips moved in time with hers instead of furiously like last time. After they broke apart, he held her close to him. Stevie Rae could feel his heart beating through his chest fast, like he was excited.

She understood. So was she.

_Shaylin_

Shaylin wasn't listening to the Prophetess, but after a while even the sound of Aphrodite's voice got annoying.

"I just want a fucking manicure," she was whining. "You've put me on my ass about three times now, Darius. Just take me back to the tunnels. We can practice tomorrow. I mean, we still have another day anyway."

"Aphrodite, shut the fuck up!" Shaylin roared. She couldn't take the girl's incessant whining anymore. It seemed out-of-character—she didn't seem like the type to beg a man for anything—but there she was, whining. Just when Shaylin had thought Aphrodite couldn't get any more annoying, there it was.

Aphrodite turned toward her, shocked that she'd been contradicted. Darius looked relieved, like he'd been too scared to tell her himself. "What did you just say to me?"

"I told you to shut up! I'm sick of hearing your voice. You're complaining, and that's all you're doing. You know you're a good fighter, so _get the hell out there and fight._" Shaylin wasn't yelling, but her words were so cold that she didn't need to. "Aphrodite, I'm not trying to be mean to you. I've always known you to be a bitch, but I've also always known you to be fierce. You wanted to fight so bad, so do it! You're not half bad, and you "stabbed" Darius a couple times anyway. _Keep fucking going!_"

Aphrodite stared at her for a long moment. Then she grinned, humor in her eyes. "You know, I think I'm starting to really like you."

Shaylin gaped at her.

Aphrodite laughed at her response, warming into the nice, beautiful girl she'd been looking at the last few weeks. "I'm sick of people keeping their opinions about me to themselves. If you have something to say, say it. I like the fact that you can at least tell me when you don't like something I do." She turned toward Darius, hand outstretched. "Come on, babe. Let's go again."

Shaylin smiled and turned away from them, looking up into Erik's eyes. They shined a furious, bright blue, bluer than usual. He was so tall that she only came to his chest, barely passing his waist. She still had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him, but she didn't care. She did it anyway, because she loved him. She was in a relationship with him. So why shouldn't she kiss him? Their lips connected, and there was energy to the kiss that had been absent since their first. It was like her senses were coming alive—she knew she could die soon, so why not be closer to Erik now?

"I love you," he murmured when they parted. "I knew I loved you when you decided to be real with me, even when every other relationship was so materialistic. Yours isn't. And it won't ever be." He kissed her cheek, and she knew he was being "real" with her—not being the dickhead he'd been before dating her. "I love you so much. You bring out the best in me." He grimaced. "That sounded less cheesy in my head."

She laughed. "Yeah it was very cheesy." She leaned up and kissed him. "But still, I love you for it."

"So cute. Since you're talking so much, why don't we see _you _fight?" Aphrodite groaned. Shaylin realized the whole time she'd been kissing Erik, Aphrodite had been fighting with Darius—and she'd, as she'd said before, put him on his ass. He was on the ground, moaning with pain.

"Okay." She raised an eyebrow to Erik, who laughed. "Hand me a sword."

Aphrodite snatched Darius's sword out of his hand. Two swords in hand, she handed one to Erik and one to Shaylin. "Spar off. Fight."

Shaylin grinned at Erik and launched herself at him, using her small proportions to her advantage. With speed she hadn't known she had, and some rusty karate moves she hadn't used in years, she leaped, sending a roundhouse kick to Erik's face. She winced slightly when he moaned in pain and fell to his knees. She fell to her feet. She swung the sword at Erik while he was on his knees before her. She barely missed, but she missed. But if she'd been serious, she knew she would have made her mark—straight through his neck.

Erik stared appraisingly at her, and moaned: "A warrior goddess, standing before me."

She grinned. Even when he was inches away from death, he never failed to try to please her.

"Sometimes size works to your advantage," Erebus praised. Shaylin tensed. She hadn't heard or seen him coming, but there he was, next to her. She turned to him. "Smaller people can often get the best of larger people."

"So it's a blessing in disguise," Aphrodite said.

She turned to the Prophetess, beaming at her. "I put him on his ass."

_Kramisha_

It was completely an accident. Kramisha didn't mean for it to happen. But it did, and she wasn't going to take anything back—partially because it was a pretty awesome punch, and partially because it was payback for earlier.

She and Jordan had been talking. He'd had his arms around her waist in that seductive way that he usually did. They'd been laughing, and as usual, kissing. A lot of kissing—kissing that was almost leading to sex. Kramisha wasn't sure how she felt about having sex just yet. She told people she wasn't a virgin, but the truth was she'd never done it before. Oh, she'd done other things. Things she didn't regret. But sex? Actual, beautiful, hot, sweaty sex? Nope.

Jordan had been on top of her, his hands about to move to her bra. Somewhere along the line, her shirt had come off, and his pants were off as well. Did she _want _this? She felt like she did. He _was _her boyfriend, after all. And if her feelings were right and Nyx wanted them to be together, then why _shouldn't _she have sex with him? Yet Kramisha couldn't stop feeling unease—a thread kept going through her when she looked into Jordan's eyes. Was it nervousness from the part of her that hated him? Why _was _there still a part of her that hated him? She didn't even know why she'd hated him from the start. It was all so confusing—she didn't know what to do.

So, in typical Kramisha fashion, she'd reached up and pushed him as hard as she could off her. He had stumbled, giving her the time to slide out from underneath him and rise shakily to her feet.

"What gives?" he'd demanded.

"I'm not ready to fuck you yet," she had said as honestly as possible. "So this is what we're gonna do. We're going to wait until I'm ready, and then we can have the sexiest, sweatiest sex possible. But 'til then? Nothin'."

"No!" Jordan had almost looked mad. "What the hell do you mean?"

"What do _you_ mean, Jordan?" Kramisha was angry now, too. What did he think he was going to do, FORCE her to have sex with him? "No way are we havin' sex today."

"Why?" he demanded.

"Why? Why, BITCH?" Anger roared in her ears. "You not about to force me to fuck you!"

"I never said I was, Misha." His annoying nickname came up again. "I just really want to do this with you. But if you wanna wait, that's cool."

Kramisha stared at him for a long moment. Then, she slapped him. He gasped. "Misha..." But she wasn't listening. She hurried from the room, tears brimming in her eyes.

Now, she stood in front of him, staring at his crumpled figure on the ground. His eye was black, and Kramisha knew from experience that black eyes took days, sometimes even weeks to heal. She was guessing that since he was a fledgling, he would heal faster than usual. She stared at his sapphire Mark. The lines of his face didn't fit with it, but it branded him as a magickal creature, son of Erebus and Nyx.

She recalled what had happened. In practicing, they'd been doing hand-to-hand combat. She'd pushed him. He'd wrapped his arms around her neck, cutting off her air—headlock. She'd elbowed him in his soft spot, spun around, and punched him in his face as hard as she could. To be honest, it had been sort of funny.

Jordan kept blinking and rubbing his eye, which she was sure had to hurt. "Damn, Misha, you put some force behind that one," he groaned.

"Yeah, sure did." She smiled sweetly at him. "Sorry, boo."

He glared at her. "I'm sure you not sorry."

At least he knew.

_Stark_

Stark stared straight ahead, not saying a word to Sylvia Redbird. Zoey's grandmother was sitting in the seat next to him, her eyes wide with fear. Stark had taken his Priestess's car and gone to follow her orders: _find Zoey Redbird and kill her. _

Stark hesitated when he drove into the House of Night's campus. A thousand memories penetrated his mind: his kissing Zoey on campus, the night he'd died and returned, only to hearken to her command. _Her command! _He'd turned from her, succumbing to that dumb bitch Zoey. _Zoey was his weakness. _He had to let her go now and embrace the Darkness, the Darkness that was meant to be him. It was his destiny.

Since the kiss, he'd felt... different. A part of him had always lived in Darkness—the Other, who he realized now had always been right about everything he'd said. But this was different. It was like he'd only glimpsed the shadows before, but now he was standing in them, and it was so much better than being shackled by a weak, pathetic Goddess who couldn't give him what he truly wanted—power, dominion over these bitches who called themselves fledglings. And he knew that deep in his soul, he'd always wanted power—he had just never realized it.

_Go to her... _The part of him that was still in pain was talking.

_Shut up, _he snapped. Weakness was not an option today.

But he could still feel the effects of the spell Neferet had placed on him. _Neferet had placed a spell upon him. _It was so powerful, more powerful than anything he'd ever felt. He couldn't resist it.

_Could I... for Zoey?_

Stark parked his car in the parking lot. Pathetic—the stupid kids were training for a fight. They thought they could beat the People of Faith, who'd been charged with chaos magic and wouldn't stop until they killed every Light fledgling in sight. Just stupid.

He got out of the car. "Stay here," he snapped to Grandma Redbird before he slammed the door. As he walked, they all turned towards him, their eyes wide with fear at his wings, which he hadn't tried to hide. They were sticking out through the back of his shirt, magnificent and black as night. Aurox had his arm wrapped protectively around Zoey, his eyes burning with fury. That show of affection made Stark angry. _What the fuck is he going to do? I ought to—_

"Stark?" Zoey whispered, and his steely resolve shattered. The sound of her voice sent a thousand chills down his spine. What was he doing? _This was the girl he'd fallen in love with. _The girl who had saved him from the Darkness, the only girl who could ever have as deep an effect on him as Neferet could. _Why was he so furious with her?_

_ No! _The voice of Darkness shivered in his ear, making his body tense. _You will not be influenced by her trappings again. You will kill her, and you will take pride in killing her. You will live with the Darkness—and it will live with you!_

"I will live with the Darkness," he whispered, his voice a monotone. "I will live with the Darkness."

Stark lowered his head, dedicated to follow Darkness's orders. He roared, "Bitch," and charged at Zoey.

...

**I'm back, guys! Sorry it took so long for me to update. I was vacationing in Hawaii—I didn't bring my laptop with me, and I was with my new beau of two months, who's **_**super **_**hot by the way. It was verrry fun, and it gave me some ideas for the independent book I'm writing, which may be available on FictionPress very soon. It's called **_**Chasers, **_**and it's about a boy who falls in love with a girl. Sounds like **_**Twilight, **_**I know, but there's a different theme. The girl, Carrie, is 5'll of badass. Her boyfriend, Wayne, is pretty hot too, and he's a mixture of Mexican and black, which we've never really seen in heroes before. He and she fall in love, but in their world, the evil vampires are trying to kill the good humans. The population of Chicago has been overrun by vampires, and there are only a few humans left. They fall in love, but can they survive without becoming what they're fighting? I'm halfway through it. **

** We're having a discussion about all my stories! I'm going to take a chapter out for BATTLED and answer all your questions—not just about BATTLED but the rest of them too. You can ask anything, except things that might spoil the plot. Ask the questions in your reviews, and I'll answer them in the chapter as best I can. **

** See you next time! Oh, sorry for that cliffhanger. Things are going to get real in chapter 14. :)**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Aurox_

The first thought on Aurox's mind was not the immediate danger Zoey was in. It was how sick he was of something stopping their relationship from happening. And when Stark lunged towards her, his eyes blazing with a deadly anger that seemed to radiate through his entire body, Aurox decided he wasn't going to let it happen anymore.

He called up all the energy he'd kept hidden within him since the battle that had broken out the night Zoey came back from the Otherworld. Welling it up within him, he closed his eyes and let his body shift. Aurox was no longer human. He was now a wolf. He stood on all fours, his teeth dripping wet with saliva and venom. Just at the last second, Aurox threw himself at Stark, knocking the boy away from Zoey just in the nick of time.

"No!" she cried, though he didn't know who she was talking to.

Aurox tensed and faced Stark down. His eyes narrowed. The Guardian didn't look like the Stark he'd just seen last night. Now, there was power in his gaze. Was that... a red tint in Stark's eyes? With a chill, Aurox realized Stark looked like what Kalona had looked like before he'd chosen Light... with some of Neferet's influence. That was what was going on! Stark had been kissed by Darkness, compelled by Neferet to come here and kill Zoey. He could smell the compulsion on Stark's skin.

Aurox knew from personal experience that Neferet had power over chaos magick because of him. Chaos magick was more powerful than Darkness. It had the power to take control over whoever it wanted, and it could destroy whoever it wanted. If Stark was being controlled by chaos magick, it meant he wouldn't stop until either Zoey was killed, or the compulsion was broken. Stark only knew one thing that was strong enough to break compulsion.

A kiss.

If Zoey kissed Stark right then and there, showing how much she loved him, it would shatter the compulsion—and even though he might still be Dark, he wouldn't want to kill her anymore. Leaving her alone was all Stark needed.

Aurox knew that his connection to Kalona was what was turning him Dark. He had no idea what that connection entailed. If it was broken... could Stark be saved? He knew how much Zoey loved Stark, and he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. Though he loved her and wished to be with her, if she chose Stark, he would let her go. But she wouldn't choose Stark if he was out of her reach. Could Aurox break Stark's connection with Kalona without killing him? And even so, would he be normal again?

Aurox knew that by choosing Darkness, Stark was choosing a path that led away from Zoey, and if he broke his Oath to her, he would die. Stark was breaking his Oath by the minute. What could Aurox do to save him?

Stark lunged at Aurox, his sword held high. He was almost smiling, sure that he would win this fight.

Aurox leaped into the air, higher than he'd thought possible for a wolf. He lunged himself at Stark, biting deep into the Warrior's neck. Stark howled in pain but kept his stance, punching the side of Aurox's face. Pain exploded in him, and he drew a deep breath to keep himself steady. When they fell to the ground, Aurox raked his claws across Stark's chest, but no blood drew, to his surprise. In Aurox's moment of surprise, Stark swung the sword up so fast that Aurox didn't even see it coming.

_"Aurox!" _Zoey wailed.

But there was nothing she could do. The sword connected. Blood spattered everywhere. Aurox could feel the life draining from him slowly. He'd planned to save Stark, but he knew that no one would be saved now. Stark would kill Zoey, and his secret plan would be failed. He shouldn't have suspected such an outlandish plan anyway.

People were shouting, screaming his name at the top of their lungs, but they sounded so far away that he wondered if he was even really hearing them. A city of white floated around him. Snowflakes. He was so cold. He shivered away from the snow that fell from the sky above him. Why was it so cold here? His body felt like it was spinning, spinning away from the world of the living and into Nyx's grasp.

Aurox didn't care if he lived or died, but he wanted Zoey to know one thing. He wanted her to know how he truly felt about her. He knew she would be lost again, utterly broken, so much so that her soul might again shatter. He was sorry, genuinely sorry for wreaking so much havoc and pain in her life. He fought against the lines of white that had shrouded his vision. For a second, he came up above the waves of pain that were lapping against his soul. Zoey's beautiful face stared down at him, her eyes wet with tears. "Aurox, please don't die on me. I love you," she cried. "No."

"The... kiss..." It took a lot of energy, but Aurox whispered it to her. "The... kiss..." She needed to kiss Stark if she wanted to break his compulsion.

She drew her eyebrows together. "What do you mean 'the kiss'?" she demanded.

Aurox could feel the life ebbing away from his body, his soul drifting beyond the lands promised to humans, and into Nyx's loving arms. He said his goodbyes to the world, looked deeply into Zoey's beautiful brown eyes one last time, and whispered, "I... I... love... you... Zo."

And then Aurox went under.

_Stark_

Stark smiled as his sword connected with the wolf's neck. It didn't go in as deeply as he'd have liked, but it went in. Blood spattered the snow, and the wolf fell limp to its knees. It turned back into the annoying human boy Zoey was so obviously in love with.

"Aurox!" she screamed, running to his broken body. Stark's mark hadn't been as precise as he'd wished, and the wound slit straight through the boy's chest—similar to where Zoey's wound was. He remembered kissing the wound when they'd had sex... caressing her... loving her...

_No! _He wouldn't let himself remember the days when she'd used him as a machination to heal herself over Heath's death. She only cared about Heath—and Heath was gone now. Her pain was his motivation. He smiled grimly as she cried over the boy's body. He'd just broken her even more—her ties to her humanity were going to be lost without anyone to fuck her every night.

Stark called the Darkness that commanded his soul to him, breathing it in like some sort of drug and covering his entire body with it, his soul. He felt the haze settle over him again, the haze that had driven him here to kill Zoey, and the haze that commanded every waking part of his body. He tensed, and prepared to kill her while she was down.

And then it happened.

Zoey turned toward him, her eyes wide with fear. Tears were running down her cheeks, and her body was shaking—the weight of her grief was finally coming down on her. She'd lost so many people, and she couldn't lose anyone else. _Professor Nolan. Heath. Her mother. Jack. Dragon. Damien. _And now she was losing him. He felt the truth of his thoughts deep within him, and with every fiber of his being he hesitated, staring at Zoey.

"The... kiss..." Aurox's lips moved so slightly that Stark almost believed he'd imagined the broken whisper. But he hadn't. Zoey's eyes turned sharply toward him.

"What do you mean 'the kiss'?" she cried.

"I... I... love... you... Zo." Aurox drew one final breath before his body went completely still.

He was dead.

Zoey just stared at his dead, broken body, her face numb with shock. Aurox was dead. The person she'd loved, her replacement for Heath. Dead. And it had been by Stark's hand. Stark had killed him. The regret washed over him so strongly that he fell to his knees before Zoey. Tears welled in his eyes, hot and betraying. He'd killed Aurox, and in killing Aurox he'd taken away Zoey's only chance at healing herself. And now, all was lost to her.

In that moment, the compulsion Neferet had wrested deeply in his heart broke, and he was normal again. He was still trapped by the Darkness of his bond to Kalona, but that was different. He could control that. He knew how to control it by now.

Zoey was still staring numbly at the body. She hadn't shattered and lost herself to grief yet, but Stark knew it would happen.

All around them, the fledglings and vampyres stared in shock. Stevie Rae's mouth was wide open. Erebus's cold eyes were locked on Stark, and there was anger in them. Rephaim was shaking his head back and forth, back and forth. Shaunee's lip was trembling, her eyes moist. They had drawn nearer to Zoey in her moment of grief. Stark could feel the elements being called. Air flowed around Zoey, raising her hair in a celestial dance. Fire warmed her soul, which was so cold after Aurox's death. Water soothed the pain she was feeling. Earth grounded her and strengthened her. And spirit was balm to the wound in her soul.

At that moment, Zoey's head fell to her hands, and she cried for Aurox. She cried harder than she'd cried when Heath himself had died. And Stark knew that Zoey was truly broken now.

"Zoey," he whispered.

What was he doing? Was this really the answer to the problem he'd been facing for _so long_? Could he really stop the Darkness, just by doing this? It didn't seem like the answer was so close, but it was. He could feel the rightness of what he was thinking down in his soul. Stark couldn't just let Zoey be broken. He had to heal her.

And there was only one way.

Stark moved toward Aurox's body, determined. He pressed his hands against Aurox's chest. Stark remembered what Kalona had done when he was dead and, taking a deep breath, slowly bent down and kissed Aurox's lips. They tasted like blood. Like an electric shock, he felt the power of what he was doing flow out of him and into Aurox. He gasped, but didn't remove his lips from Aurox's. There was a blinding white flash of light, and then...

Silence.

Stark was breathing hard as he removed his lips from Aurox's. He stared at the boy. He still looked dead. There had been no changes in his body at all. At first Stark thought what he'd done wouldn't work. Could a human boy have immortality? It had been a crazy plan, but it had been the only thing that would heal Zoey—and Aurox.

Just in that moment, Aurox blinked and opened his eyes. Everyone around him gasped. "Z... Zo?" he whispered brokenly.

"I'm here." Zoey couldn't keep the smile from her face as her hand found Aurox's. "I'm here, Aurox. Everything's okay."

"Okay." Aurox's lips twitched in what Stark took for a smile.

Zoey's eyes found his, and in them was a wariness Stark hated. "Thank you, Stark. Thank you so much."

All he could do was nod in reply.

"Everything isn't okay, Priestess." Darius's words drew them all from their shock and awe. "Aurox, though supernatural, has a human form. Though he's appeared to have gained some blood back and is talking to us, he needs to be stitched up. Someone run down to one of the markets—preferably a red vampyre, so you can compel someone to give you stitches—and I'll stitch him up."

"He needs the elements," Zoey said softly. "Nyx has blessed him as her own, so he's going to heal as a fledgling would. But he needs the help of the elements. We've got to cast a circle."

"But Nicole isn't here," Aphrodite said. "She's with Lenobia and Travis studying how to be a Horse Mistress, remember?"

"Shit," Shaunee cursed. "Who can stand in for water?"

"I will." The voice wasn't one they'd expected to hear. Stark remembered saying his goodbyes to her a long time ago. Why was she here? They all stared at Erin Bates. She strode confidently toward them. Her cold blue eyes found Aurox's broken body. "I'll be water."

"But... you're..." Shaunee sounded disgusted.

"Dark? Yeah, I know." Erin laughed. "Darkness is _way _more fun. But I do still care about you guys, y'know. I won't just leave you hanging. I'll help you."

They all stared at her, uncertain. Should they let Erin rejoin the circle? Finally, Zoey spoke. "She's serious, guys. I can feel it. Dallas doesn't know she's here. She really wants to help us."

"Then, by all means, get your ass over here," chided Aphrodite.

Erin walked regally over to where the rest of the circle had assembled. They formed the position Stark was used to. However, this time, Aurox lay in the middle of the circle. "It will work better towards healing him," Zoey said, and no one argued.

Shaylin started the circle off: "I call air to the circle. Blow away the pain and Darkness that has stained Aurox's soul, and allow him to heal!" Air billowed around Aurox's body, and he sighed with relief.

Shaunee said, "I call fire to the circle. Burn away the Darkness of the wound on Aurox, and let him heal." Red light beamed from her hands, and she shot it at Aurox. The red light traveled along the wound, healing it closed, even though it still looked pretty nasty.

Erin's voice sounded cold, but something about the way she said it told them she was genuine. "I call water to the circle. Wash away the Darkness that's tainted him, and heal him." Water bubbled along Aurox's body, causing his skin to recolor and become more normal.

Stevie Rae sounded strong and powerful, like the High Priestess she claimed she was. "Earth, come to me. Strengthen Aurox so he can get better." With a quick glance to Stark, she added: "And can you give Stark some of your strength too?" Strength flowed through Stark. He realized he'd been on his knees this entire time, even though he wasn't inside the circle. Earth's magick gave him the strength to stand. He mouthed 'thank you' to Stevie Rae, who smiled at him.

Zoey stared down at Aurox for a long time before she spoke. "Spirit, please come to me. Heal Aurox's soul. With your power, allow him to be okay and return completely to me!" Purple light traveled along Aurox's body, and he sat straight up, gasping for breath. His eyes looked clear of the glassy dead look they'd had before, even when he was talking, and he looked like the wound had never happened, even though there was blood on his shirt.

He shot to his feet and threw his arms around Zoey. Then, surprising everyone, he turned to Stark and threw his arms around him. Stark hesitated, but hugged Aurox back. When the two parted, Aurox said: "Thank you. For giving me part of your immortality. For bringing me back to Zoey."

"No problem." Why did Stark sound so weak? His body shivered, like he was cold, even though there wasn't a breeze. "Just..."

Suddenly the strength Stevie Rae had given him faded, and he fell to his knees. What was happening to him? Why did he feel so weak all of a sudden?

"Stark!" Zoey's voice. He locked his eyes on her. She was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Maybe more. He loved her, and he would always love her.

He shifted his eyes from her, struggling to get a glimpse of another beautiful thing before he went under.

Just before he lost consciousness, his eyes found the moon.

...

Stark blinked, his body feeling sore all over, even though the bed he was lying in was comfortable—and it felt familiar. With a start, Stark realized that he was lying in his bed. The bed he and Zoey had once shared, the bed that they'd made love in. He felt empty and light—lighter than he had felt since before the Otherworld. With a start, he sat up and felt his back. He gasped when he realized the truth.

His wings were gone.

"You have been broken from the bond." The voice that spoke to him now was a voice he hadn't expected to hear—and didn't particularly like. He turned to stare into Kalona's warm eyes. It was so weird still to view him as a friend and not the enemy, but the Mark on his face said that he truly was back to Nyx's good graces. "In giving that piece of immortality that I gave you, you have been broken from the bond. Our souls are no longer connected. It's a relief to have your own soul, isn't it?"

"Quite," Stark snapped. "You knew and never told me."

"We weren't exactly on friendly terms when I found out. Besides, you were the least of my worries." Kalona ran an exasperated hand through his hair. "Now, Aurox has it."

A chill went through Stark. "So does that mean he'll go Dark?"

"Eventually, he will. It took a long time for it to happen to you, so it probably will to him, but he's strong. He'll last for a while, but the Darkness will eventually overtake him and what happened to you will happen to him."

"Can't you take all his immortality away?" Stark said.

"No. If I did that, he would die." Kalona's face was thoughtful. "Who knows? If Aurox is strong enough to resist Darkness, I may die or go Dark because of his choice."

"Maybe he should just give it to someone else."

"That would not solve the problem. Then, someone else would have the same problem. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Right," Stark said bitterly. "Seeing as you're oh-so good now and stuff."

"I chose the path of Light because it was what my—our Goddess would have wanted me to do," Kalona said solemnly, his eyes downcast. "That, and it was the right choice to make. I'd spend centuries in Darkness's arms. I was ready to traffic with the Light again."

As bored as the vampyre tried to sound, Stark could see past the front he was putting on. He adored Nyx, and would do anything for her. He remembered when Zoey had told him that Kalona had once been Nyx's Warrior. At the time, he hadn't believed it. But now, he believed that and more. Not only had he protected her... he'd been in love with her.

"You still love her," he said.

Kalona's brows raised. "Hmm?"

"You're still in love with Nyx," Stark said softly. "That's why you're doing this. You hope if you please her, she'll accept you."

Kalona was silent for a long moment, his eyes downcast and his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice cracked with the emotion Stark was sure was running through him. "You're right," he admitted. "I am still in love with Nyx. I've denied it this entire time by blanketing it with my love for Thanatos, but the truth is I love Nyx more than I could ever love any mortal. She stole my heart centuries ago, and she still has it. This is the first time I have voiced such feelings."

"Maybe you should tell her how you feel." Stark had done the same thing with Zoey. "Who knows? Maybe she'll feel the same way."

Kalona's shoulders straightened and the hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Maybe you're right, young Guardian."

"Y'know... I've never... thanked you. For saving me. I owe you. You brought me back to _mo bann ri. _And I'll always be grateful for that." Stark meant it, from deep in his heart and soul.

"I can see that you are in love with her, but she loves Aurox. The choice she's making is a hard one. Aurox is everything she could have had with Heath; yet you are the promise of rebirth and healing." Kalona almost sounded amused now. "I am curious to see which one of you she'll choose."

"You and Zoey were in love, weren't you? Back when everything was... crazy?"

Kalona laughed. "Yes, we were in love. At least, that was what we thought. But my Imprint with Thanatos made me realize how stupid I was. I wasn't meant for Zoey. She has a soulmate in you."

Stark felt warm. "You mean you think she'll pick me?"

Kalona smiled, and the smile warmed the cold lines on his face. "I have no doubt that she'll pick you."

"Thanks, man. It means a lot." Stark looked around the room. "Where is she, by the way?"

"In the kitchen with the others. Morning has fallen, so most are asleep, but she, Stevie Rae, Thanatos, Erebus, Shaylin, Shaunee, and Darius are still awake, and they're talking. They should be done by now."

"Do you hate Erebus?" It was an honest question. Stark might have hated his brother too if he'd stolen the girl Stark loved.

Kalona's face was thoughtful. "No. I do not hate Erebus; if anything, I envy him. He has everything I want." Jealousy crossed Kalona's face, and Stark knew he was telling the truth.

"I would too," Stark admitted. "But I'm not as forgiving as you. I might try to kill him."

Kalona laughed again. "So might you, Guardian."

The curtain to the room suddenly lifted and Zoey strode in. Her eyes widened when she saw Stark. Wordlessly, she ran to him and kissed him with a passion he'd never seen in her. His hands tightened against her body as she spider-monkied him and kissed him with a fire that had been absent from their love.

Kalona chuckled. "I'll give you two some time alone." Winking at Stark, he left the room.

Stark broke from Zoey, and breathed, "You're here."

"Yeah. I missed you so much. Do not do that to me ever again." Before he could say anything else, she kissed him again with a passion that sent his head spinning. This kiss was more passionate. This was the type of kiss that involved arms and legs, the one where he knotted his fingers in her hair and caressed her jaw with the other hand, the one where she bit his lip as she lifted the shirt over his head, the one where he used his free hand to push the pajama shorts off, the one where she pushed him down as hard as she could and kissed down his chest as she used her hands to break him free of his jeans.

And then, they made love and Stark forgot all about his worries about Kalona and Aurox.

_Kalona_

Walking into the room he and Thanatos shared, he found that she was sitting on the bed, her eyes downcast. She looked almost sad. When she looked up at him, relief etched in her eyes. "You're here."

"Here I am." Kalona came to sit on the bed beside her. She looked tired, like the weight of the situation she was in was too much. "Are you okay?"

She smiled sadly and nodded. "Kalona, I've been thinking some things. About... us."

"What about us?" he demanded.

She hesitated before continuing. "I... I can't do this anymore, Kalona," she whispered, like it hurt to even utter those six words.

"What do you mean 'you can't do this anymore'?"

"I can't stay with you. I can see that you're in love with Nyx. It's obvious, as obvious to me as it is to Erebus and Zoey and the rest of the gang. If you're in love with her, how will you be with me?" She smiled sadly at him.

"I... I..." He couldn't deny it anymore, couldn't lie to himself any more than he could deny that they were Imprinted. He was in love with Nyx—more than he'd believed possible. "I'm sorry," he said truthfully. "I will still be your Warrior. I'll be your friend. But... the feelings I have for her... they refuse to leave me behind."

She looked surprised, as if she'd expected him to lie to her. "Well, I'll always be here. If she doesn't come through." Both shame and envy tinged the High Priestess's gaze. She was envious of Nyx; she felt shame because she shouldn't be envious of a Goddess, her Goddess at that.

"Thank you," he promised. "I love you, Thanatos. I really do love you. Even if I can't love you... in that way."

Before he could stop her, she kissed him. The two kissed as passionately as ever. He'd never shared a kiss filled with so much heartbreak, so much anguish. Because the truth was that though he was in love with Nyx, he did love Thanatos, and to be hurting her was like a pain in _his _soul. He was so sick of hurting people. He was a monster.

He broke the kiss, knowing that every kiss and every touch would only delude her. He had to make a clean break. "I... I'll find another room to sleep in. To make it better."

She sighed. "Okay."

Kalona kissed her cheek; the urge was overwhelming. After a murmured "I love you, Thanatos. Goodbye," he turned and hurried from the room. But one sound stuck with him as he wandered the halls.

The sound of Thanatos's devastating, heartbroken tears.

...

**I tried to update as quick as possible after I edited the chapter. How do you like? I wanted to take it to a place that I was certain **_**no one **_**would anticipate. **

**Have you checked out the discussion? Feel free to add as many questions as possible. I'll answer all of 'em. It's just a repayment for your support. **

**I'll update as quickly as possible! Love you guys.**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**BATTLED**

**In the Style of Casey Redbird**

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Neferet_

Her heart longed to be finished with this already, to have no more regrets or ties to Darkness, and to finish off the white bull so she and Theseus—she and _Johnny_—could be together, but Neferet didn't give into her desires, simply staring straight ahead. The silvery, hazy moon was a wonderful companion to the dark night sky, and she believed it was a sign that Nyx was still watching over her—still had faith in her.

Her gaze drifted over to the car Stark had left in the parking lot of the House of Night. She'd gotten it after Zoey and the gang had returned to the tunnels. Zoey's grandmother had still been in there, her eyes wide with fear. In that moment, Neferet had felt such pity for the woman that she'd almost freed her.

_No! _ something within her had screamed. _The white bull cannot yet know you are free from his command. You must act as if you were not. _

So she'd left her there, though she'd tried to put as much remorse and pity into her gaze as she could. Now, they were back at the Mayo. Stark had broken the compulsion—and she was glad. Stark's love for Zoey, and his Warrior's Oath, was strong enough to keep the two of them alive.

_Now who's going to keep me alive?_

A knock on the door jarred her from her mental reverie. Forcing herself not to jump, she turned to it. Who could be here? She'd compelled the humans to never enter here, so why would one dare? They weren't strong enough to break compulsion. Neferet almost wanted to call, "Who is it?" but she kept her mouth shut, walking quickly and confidently to the door.

She pulled it open, and gasped—she was staring into Theseus's eyes. His gaze traveled all along her body. Something had changed within him. He seemed different now—calmer. He was closer to Light. Neferet's heart squeezed and her eyes watered with the threat of tears.

"Shh," he assured her gently, pulling her into a passionate kiss. The kiss sent shivers of desire and longing through her. This was the love that had consumed her as a child, the love that still did—the love that had caused her to regret every emotion that she'd had for Darkness. At that moment, she didn't care whether or not the white bull was watching. She kissed him with everything she had in her. She knotted her fingers in his long, dark hair, undoing all the buttons in his shirt with a long _pop-pop-pop _noise. As soon as his shirt came off, her eyes raked over his glorious, muscular chest before she moved her hands greedily to his tight, sexy pair of jeans. When they came off, all she could do was marvel at his perfectly shaped body. He was so _beautiful! _Why did he have to be so seductive?

_"Oh, my Goddess," _she rasped, letting him kiss on her neck—her sensitive spot. With a lightning speed she hadn't known vampyres capable off, he snatched her into his arms and flew to the bed. Before she knew it, she was naked too, her skin playing lightly against his. His big, muscular body was above hers, and he was being so gentle with her, gentle in a way only Johnny would. Neferet had not known such kindness since she'd lost Johnny—her world had spiraled into Darkness and manipulation. Now that she was finally coming out of that, she could see the beauty of the Light she'd left behind.

Thanatos made love to her so beautifully that even the white bull didn't dare interrupt. Sylvia Redbird had been given a separate room, her chains cut, though Neferet doubted she would try to escape—the woman was too weak to try anything. He made her moan, and her body erected such pleasure that she shivered against it. It made her feel weak—or at least that was what she thought at first. She realized she wasn't weak. It was just that the power of Light's love was so overwhelming that it was dulling her senses, making her remember what it was like to be loved.

When the sun finally came up the next morning, they'd stopped. Her body was almost sore, but every bit of pain she was feeling was worth it. Her head was against his neck, and their eyes were trained on each other. She smiled. "You've chosen Light, haven't you?" She didn't care enough to hide anymore. Besides, the listening presence of the white bull had faded long before Theseus had entered the room. He wasn't with her now—hadn't witnessed anything.

"I have," Theseus sighed, kissing her neck again. She closed her eyes against the harsh, immediate pleasure. "I couldn't deny how much I loved you."

She sighed. "We'll have to stop the white bull."

"He's an immortal creature," Theseus reminded her rationally. "He can't be killed. I'm not even sure he can be trapped."

"We'll stop him anyway," she said softly, though she didn't know if she really even believed the words.

Just at that moment, she felt a hand against her shoulder. The hand was so warm, so kind and gentle that Neferet froze. She sighed, leaning into his touch and feeling the love he was exuding. She loved him so much, and he loved her too.

"What is it?" Theseus looked wide-eyed at her. And she realized that his hands were at his sides. He hadn't touched her.

"Didn't you just touch my shoulder?" Neferet cried.

"No."

She peered into the periphery of his thoughts to see if he was lying, though she didn't see why he would lie, and discovered truth there. He was being truthful. He really hadn't touched her.

Then who had?

Neferet had felt such kindness before, but it had been so long since that she'd forgotten about it. Now, she remembered. And she remembered knowing exactly who had touched her.

It couldn't be.

There was no way. There was just no way. She might be back to Light, but... no. Just no.

But... it did make sense.

Neferet then knew with every fiber of her being and heart and soul that Nyx had just touched her. The Goddess had shown her kindness after every sin she'd committed. She could still forgive. She still had forgiven.

Neferet stared at Theseus for a long time. Then, with his arms around her and their bodies intertwined, she wept.

_Lenobia_

"This is really unnecessary." Lenobia's cheeks turned a bright red.

"It's perfectly necessary," Thanatos argued, rolling her eyes. "A woman should have the right wedding dress."

They were in a dress shop in Utica Square, and Lenobia couldn't be more embarrassed. First, she'd had to cover up her Mark, and then the High Priestess had dragged her to the dress shop to select her wedding dress for her and Travis's wedding, even going as far as insisting that she'd pay for it. Lenobia had reluctantly agreed after Travis had begged her. Now, she and Thanatos sat in the dress shop, staring at dresses. Lenobia needed to be helping Zoey and her circle decipher a poem or train or something. Not _this. _She blushed again lightly.

"I love this one," Thanatos said, her eyes on a frilly white dress in the back corner. The old Lenobia would have loved it, but she was so changed by time and age that the dress looked horrible to her. She shook her head.

She scanned her eyes around the room. If she really had to do this, she might as well put her all into it. After seeing a bunch of dresses that were obviously _no_'s, she finally saw one that was beautiful. It was a sleek, shimmering red, one of her favorite colors, glistening with sparkles. Lenobia nodded towards the dress. "That one."

"Try it on," Thanatos urged. Lenobia hesitated but nodded softly, going to the dress and picking it up off the rack. It was heavier than she'd anticipated, but she still managed to carry it to one of the fitting rooms. After twenty minutes of struggling to get the dress on (it wasn't tight, but she hadn't worn a dress this big since she was a child) she came out of the fitting room and Thanatos gasped.

"Beautiful," the High Priestess whispered.

Lenobia rolled her eyes. "You're exaggerating."

"I think not," Thanatos said. "You're simply misjudging yourself. Did you have a look in the mirror?"

She ignored the childish impulse to stick her tongue out at Thanatos and turned her eyes to the nearest mirror. She realized with surprise that Thanatos had been right. She almost didn't recognize the woman staring back at her in the mirror. The dress flowed perfectly, blending with her pale skin perfectly. Her long, fair hair fell gently past her shoulders, and her eyes were shining as if she was weeping. Lenobia realized she could see herself in the dress. This was it—she now knew what married women talked about when they said you knew which dress was the dress for you. This was the dress for her. She could feel it deep in her soul.

"This is it," Lenobia said softly.

"Well, let's get it paid for." Before Lenobia could protest, Thanatos took her purse to the register and pointed to the dress, asking the woman some questions. The woman nodded and Thanatos gave her some money. Lenobia rolled her eyes, but went into the fitting room to change back into her clothes. When she was finished, Thanatos was waiting for her with a bag. The shopkeeper hurried over to them and slid the dress into the bag, instructing Lenobia what to do with it and how to wash it.

After they left, Thanatos dropped Lenobia off back at the stables, Lenobia thanking her for taking the time (and money) out of her day. She hung the dress in the closet in her office, locking the door. Then, she walked out to the stables, to her mare Mujaji, where Travis was waiting patiently.

"You didn't see the dress, did you?" All her fears faded when she saw him. He was so heartbreakingly handsome that her head hurt. He was wearing a simple plaid shirt and jeans, but even that didn't fail to speed up her heart beat. His smile made her smile as well. "No, I didn't."

"Good," she said. Then, before he could say anything else, she pressed her lips to his. They kissed with a furious passion, the passion that had consumed her from the moment she'd realized he was Martin returned to her. And then she remembered why she had agreed to be his wife.

She did not regret it in the slightest.

_Kramisha_

"Great. Just fucking great. Goddess knows how irritated my hand is from writing, and now I gotta share the damn poem with Zoey and them." Kramisha sighed as she hurried with Jordan down to the kitchen, which was quickly becoming their annual meeting place—they'd just had a fucking meeting not even three hours ago, and now there was yet another one because of her strange, confusing poem. Couldn't she get some sleep?

Jordan grinned at her. "Nyx got a plan for you. You can't just be puttin' her on the back burner for sleep."

"I'm not," she snapped. "I'm just... tired."

He rolled his eyes. "Misha, you never fail to amaze me." Then, before she could protest about how she'd been serious and she would never give up on the Goddess and Nyx was the damn reason she was going to the meeting in the first place, he bent and kissed her. The sweet, soft press of his lips against hers was the only thing that kept her from breaking the kiss and going off on him. She knew he was trying to calm her down—Nyx only wanted the best out of her. When they finally broke apart, though, it was his doing. "Now, are you ready?"

She grinned at him, totally rejuvenated by his kiss, the sound of the Imprinted blood running through his body sending a chill of desire down her spine. She realized she hadn't drank from him in a few days. She felt like Maria from _The Sound of Music_—so totally in love and sure of her decisions.

The two entered the kitchen holding hands, and Kramisha drew strength from his touch. Zoey, Stark, Stevie Rae, Aurox, Kalona, Thanatos (though she noticed instantly that pretty-white-boy Kalona and the High Priestess he was supposed to be dating were sitting as far apart as possible), Shaylin, Erik (who was looking handsomer than usual), Aphrodite, Darius (who had his arm, as usual, wrapped protectively around Aphrodite), Nicole, Shaunee, and Nisroc. Rephaim was nowhere to be found. It took Kramisha a while to remember that he was probably a bird now.

She took her seat beside Jordan, filling the last two seats at the table. As soon as they were seated, Zoey started firing questions at Kramisha. "Where's the poem? Can I see it? What's it about?"

"Calm down," she snapped, ignoring the fact that Jordan was squeezing her hand under the table. "I have it." With her free hand, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper she'd written the poem down on, passing it to Zoey, who snapped it up with no hesitation, though her eyes were full of guilt.

She read the poem aloud:

_Αυτός ο καθρέφτης_

_μαγικό καθρέφτη_

_Μπορεί να μας δείξει_

_Οι απαντήσεις_

_Σε αυτό εμείς_

_Βρείτε την ειρήνη_

"Oh, Goddess," Aphrodite said. "I think that's Greek again."

"Great," Zoey said, rolling her eyes. "Aphrodite, can you decipher it again?"

The Prophetess rolled her eyes, but pulled out her phone and held her hand out impatiently for the poem. When Zoey handed it to her, she translated it within five minutes. When she was finally finished, she turned the sheet of paper over and copied down what was on her phone, holding it out for Kramisha to see, and the Poet Laureate read the poem aloud:

_This mirror_

_Magic mirror_

_Can show us_

_Replies_

_In this we_

_Find peace_

"Okay, I know I'm not the only one majorly confused by that," Stevie Rae said, scratching her head.

"You're not," Zoey agreed. She looked at Kramisha with that _I'm-High-Priestess-so-answer-me-now _look. "What do you think it means?"

Everyone's eyes were on her, and Kramisha was starting to feel claustrophobic. She stared down at the table in front of her and said, "I think it ain't a poem. I think it's a spell."

"A spell?" When Kramisha looked up, Zoey's eyes were wide. "Oh Nyx. It does make sense."

"But a spell for what, though?" Darius said. "It's not exactly apparent in its meaning."

"Maybe you should cast it, Zoey," Nicole said softly. Stark snapped his eyes to her in surprise, like he was shocked that she'd spoken.

"I don't think it's the right time yet," Zoey said softly. She and Kramisha shared a look, and Kramisha knew in that moment that Zoey was right. "I'll know when the time comes. I have a feeling this is one of those things that's only supposed to be read aloud once."

"Okay, well, be sure to let us know when that time is," Stark said. He kept shooting guilty glances at Nicole. What was going on there?

"Okay," Zoey said.

"Anything else?" Shaunee asked. "_Game of Thrones_ comes on tonight, and I'm kinda trying to get back to my room so I can watch it with my man." She gestured to Nisroc, who grinned at the 'my man' title.

"I'd like to watch that with you," Stevie Rae said, grinning at her. "Rephaim and I were watching that before all Sam Hill broke loose."

"Yeah, I'll come too," Kramisha agreed.

"Okay, then we're done," Zoey said. "Everyone can go now."

They all got up and headed to their rooms, and Kramisha had the sickest feeling that there was something going on with Stark and Zoey and Nicole.

_Stark_

Zoey wearily walked off to her room after Stark agreed that he was grabbing a pop and that he'd be there in a few minutes, but Nicole remained. The sad look on her face was bugging him, and he sat down beside her, playing with a strand of hair. Her body tensed at his touch, but she didn't stop him.

"What's wrong?" he said softly.

"I... I just can't stand seeing you and Zoey so in love," she spat. Stark's eyes widened with surprise. "It's so annoying. And the _way _you two are in love."

"Why does that bother you?" Stark queried.

"It bothers me because... because I like you!" Nicole admitted, the words coming out in a rush. She looked away from him. "It bothers me because I have a crush on you. I have since the bake sale. I haven't forgotten. I always fall for people who will never want me."

"Hey, there, there," he soothed. "It's okay."

"No. It will never be okay." She looked pissed all of a sudden, reminding him of the old Nicole—the spoiled bitch who'd led the group of red fledglings and could project Neferet's influence. "I'm so sick of boys."

"You'll find someone," he said softly. "Someone will come along who loves you as you really are."

"I hope you're right..." she whispered. "I can't stand being hurt anymore."

"I really have to be going," he said, standing up.

"Go ahead," she snapped bitterly. "Run right back to Zoey."

He wanted to say something else, but he had a feeling his best bet in that moment would be just to shut up. Nicole was hurting, and love was the only thing that could heal her—something he couldn't give her anymore. He loved Zoey too much, and if he didn't end up with her, he wouldn't end up with anyone. So, instead of saying anything, he took her palm and kissed it softly and respectfully. Then, ignoring her shocked gasp, he turned and hurried back to Zoey—his _bann ri_—his priestess.

Just before he passed the threshold of the kitchen, he would swear he heard her laughing.

...

**How did you like it? Not much, but there was a spell and some Sticole development... well, a break up. I have plans for Nicole, guys! Don't worry—you'll be taken completely by surprise by what's going to happen to her next! **

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I don't update on time unless I feel like writing, and I was kinda in a writers' block with this one, so forgive me. I'll try to be more prompt with the next update; I'm excited to announce that we're exactly halfway through the book now! **

**Thank you for being so patient. Love you guys!**

**XOXO,**

**Casey**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Zoey_

I didn't hesitate to swing the sword, my arm unlocking and the strike almost perfect as I met Stark's. Our eyes locked, and I lunged at him with a strength I hadn't known I had. We fell to the ground, my arms around him, keeping him close to me. I raised the sword, and it found purchase right above his heart.

"Good job, Zoey," Darius's deep voice said. I raised my head to look into his friendly eyes. "What has brought this fury to your attacks?"

I shrugged, standing up and brushing the dirt off my jeans. "I don't know. I guess I'm just getting used to fighting."

"Good," Darius said. "The battle is only part of the struggle; the other part is in the mind. If you believe that your opponent is your enemy and that they deserve to die, then you have the strength to kill them."

"Sgiach told me that I shouldn't let the battle make me hard," I blurted, surprised that I remembered. "She said being hard isn't a good thing."

"I agree," Darius said, surprised. "Sgiach was right. You simply need to be ready, not hard. When you become hard, you become emotionless, and with losing your emotions, you lose your feelings. You become Dark."

We were all silent at that. Stark looked guilty, as if he was remembering the times when _he _was Dark. Stevie Rae looked shocked, like my words were unexpected, which was pretty stupid considering she knew exactly what I was talking about. But everyone recovered pretty quickly. "Okay, let's get back to training," Darius said softly.

"I wish Erebus was here," Shaunee muttered. "He knew this stuff like it was written on the back of his hand."

"Erebus had duties to attend to," Darius said. "He'll be back as soon as he does."

Erebus had returned to Nyx so that he could care for her, worried that she was unsafe when he was away from her, which was a smart theory. I knew how it felt to have Stark away from me—I felt scared and weak and powerless, which pretty much summed up the exact opposite of what I was—or at least, what I wanted to be. _What I had the potential to be, _I mentally corrected myself.

_What you are. _The sweet-as-honey voice of the Goddess drifted through my mind like a song. I knew she was right. I was no longer a weak, spineless little girl, nor was I a spoiled slut who had been wrongly gifted. I truly believed I had grown into the powers Nyx had designed for me. The question was: how could I know how to use them? I remembered the night before with Stark, and another question popped into my head: how could I choose between Aurox and Stark when I didn't even know who I really was inside?

I shook my head, clearing away my reverie, and focused on the task at hand: training. In a day and a half, the People of Faith would come and we would fight them. We didn't know how it would turn out; they could have opponents we didn't know about, or vampyres who were so devoted to Neferet that they would be willing to fight with humans (which sent a lightning-bolt of disgust down my spine). We had to be ready to fight—even if _ready _and _hard _weren't exactly the same thing. "Show me the next move, Darius."

He grunted and cleared his throat. "You know all the basic offense and most of the defense, Zoey. There's nothing more you need to learn. All you need to do now is... practice."

"I know everything?" That was a surprise. It seemed like there was more to master. There was always more...

Stark put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Z. You're shaking."

I realized I was. My fists were clenched tightly, and my body was vibrating violently. My eyes felt wet—had I been crying without even realizing it? And if so, why? The wind was blowing pretty harshly—that could have been the reason.

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "O-okay. I'll take a break," I said softly. "Air, fire and earth, come to me." I felt the infilling of the elements deep in my soul, and their quiver at their anticipation of whatever I wanted them to do. Smiling softly, I said. "Air, can you please blow softly, so that my friends have a calm environment to practice in?" The harsh breeze calmed down, so that it was gentle and warm. "Fire, can you warm my body and loosen the tension, so I can stop shaking?" My muscles relaxed, and I sighed with relief. "Earth, can you give me—and everyone else—the strength to go on, and to prepare for this battle?" I felt my body grow stronger, and I knew everyone else was feeling the same thing when they all grinned. As Aurox's arms wrapped around my waist and I tried to avoid Stark's angry look, I turned my eyes to Stevie Rae. "Work with Darius. Lead them in ways I can't. You really are a High Priestess, Stevie Rae—so live up to your full potential."

"I will, Z," she said, nodding.

I nodded, turning my eyes to Darius. "Everything you showed me—show them. I want them to know exactly what to do in combat."

"As you wish, Priestess," he said, ever-polite.

"Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again, guys. I'm going to bed," I said.

"Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again," they all said.

"Night, Z," Kramisha said.

I turned from them, Stark and Aurox on either side of me. Both were holding one of my hands, and I realized the way they were holding them felt different—Stark's hand was warm and soft, while Aurox's hand was rough but strong. It was probably some sort of metaphor for how torn I was between them.

I walked with them to my room, where Stark stared at me, torn. "I... I should be going."

"Stark..." I whispered.

"No, I should. You were with me last night. You... you need to understand all your options." He shrugged, his eyes full of pain. "I'll see you later."

"See you," I said softly. I wrapped my arms around Stark, the pain and anguish I felt at him leaving returning. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't mind being here with Aurox, but what Stark made me feel was so unique. It was different from what I had with Aurox... and surprisingly better.

"I love you," he vowed. We didn't say it often, so it sounded so sweet and beautiful coming from his mouth.

"I love you, too," I told him.

Stark parted from me and turned from the room without a backward glance. I stared after him, wanting to say something but not sure what it would be. After a few minutes of uneasy staring, I turned to Aurox, who was staring at me with an unfathomable expression in his eyes.

"What?" I demanded when he didn't look away.

"You love him too much," he told me.

"How?"

"You love him more than you love me." Aurox smiled sadly, his eyes brimming with tears. I stared at him, surprised. "I understand. I always thought—but you just confirmed it. You'll choose him."

"Aurox—I don't know that. I don't know _who _I'll choose." I felt air stirring around me, moving in time with my frustration. He could make me so mad sometimes. "I love both of you equally. I have no idea who I want—or even who I _am _right now. In less than two days, we have to fight a battle we're unsure about, even though we're going through a bunch of training I think is, frankly, not going to help anything. The last thing I want to think about is who the hell I'm going to spend my nights with after the battle."

"After the battle?" he whispered. "That's when you'll choose?"

I stared at him, surprised. I hadn't really meant to say it. I didn't know _when _I would choose—the answer would just come to me whenever it came to me. "I don't know. I'm not sure. Whenever it is, it's going to be hard. And it's going to be permanent. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not really a slut."

Aurox's strong arms wrapped around me. "I know you'll choose right, Zo," he reassured me. "If I'm the one for you, you'll choose me. But if Stark's the one..." His body tensed. "No, I can't be that selfish. If you're happy with him, choose him. I won't stop you."

"Really? You'd do that?" I whispered.

"Of course." He released me and smiled. "I love you, Zo."

"I love you too, Aurox." I realized we never really said it, either; we hadn't had many chances to say it. I also realized that beyond any doubt, I meant it. With everything in my soul.

"I'm tired. Let's lay down."

He laughed. "Sure, Zo."

I changed into my pajamas—simply a bra and the Batman shorts Heath had given me before he'd died—and lay in the bed with Aurox. I felt my body relax as his arms wrapped around me, and knew that not only did I love him, I felt safe with him—almost as safe as I felt with Stark.

"Sweet dreams, Zo..." he whispered in my ear.

Content and comfortable in Aurox's arms, I drifted into unconsciousness, uncertain of what would happen when I awakened.

_Erebus_

Erebus didn't see the sword coming until it was upon him. His mind was torn, distracted by thoughts of Nyx and how mad she made him, and how much he wanted to just end everything with her—but how he couldn't, because no matter how much she angered him, he could not leave her here unprotected. He'd been walking, his eyes downcast, and he didn't hear his attacker—didn't see the attack.

When the sword connected with his flesh, time seemed to slow down. Erebus stared down at the sword that was in his gut, his eyes wide with shock. How had someone stabbed him? In all his years of training, Erebus had _never _let a sword pierce his skin. Ever.

Weakness and pain surged through him and he fell to his knees, his eyes never once leaving the sword in him. _I have been stabbed. I have been stabbed, and now I am going to die..._

Suddenly, he felt tendrils of Darkness encircling him, crawling along his body like dirty spiders. He didn't shiver away from their cold fire as he usually would; surprisingly, he relaxed in their touch—they were healing the wound in his stomach. To his surprise, the sword fell out and the wound healed closed instantly. As the Darkness slithered away from him, he turned and sliced his own sword through the demon's midriff—the creature who had stabbed him.

Before he could even blink, Nyx was standing before him. Her eyes were full of anger, and it was familiar. With a start, Erebus realized this was what she had looked like when confronting Kalona—about doing the exact thing he had done.

_No. _

"You allowed Darkness to touch you?" Nyx's voice was incredulous. "Erebus, what has gotten into you? You were the only other being in this galaxy I fully trusted, besides Zoey—and she doesn't really count. You have betrayed me in the worst way possible, so your punishment will be the worst I can think of." Her eyes were cold and unforgiving. "Erebus, you are hereby banished from my realm and no longer my consort."

"Nyx—no! You can't do this!" he protested.

"I can, and I will." She snapped her fingers, and before he could say a world, the majestic white wings folded gently against his back snapped off. It didn't hurt; it felt like someone had given him a numbing drug, like it was supposed to hurt but his nerves weren't working right. His shocked, choked gasp only came out a second later, but it seemed like a century.

Nyx had removed his immortality. He was mortal. And if he was mortal, that meant he could no longer exist as an angel—no longer exist in this realm.

Erebus was falling. He could feel it. His body ached with the agony of the separation from her. He opened his mouth and screamed, as loud as he ever had. He writhed and beat the air, praying for some sort of miracle from whatever god or goddess would take mercy on him. He seemed to fall for an eternity. Finally, he landed.

When he landed, the slow-motion quality the world had taken finally seemed to speed up and shift to real time, and he could feel the pain. Pain burned all along his back, his sides, his legs, his arms, his chest. He could barely breathe. It hurt _so bad. _

"Ah," he groaned.

Erebus was going to die. He'd thought about death earlier, but he'd never actually considered it would take him until now. Before, he couldn't die. Before, he was an immortal, and nothing could truly ever kill him.

And in that moment, he heard a noise—a noise that would utterly change the course of his life forever.

He heard the sound of a young girl crying.

From his position, his head was below the ground, in the hole that his body had made when he'd fallen. He could barely move, unable to shift his position when his body shifted to the ground. Pain flared up in his back and he gasped. Gritting his teeth against it, he looked up to see where the sound was coming from. Was there a mortal here who could help him, lead him to Kalona? Erebus did not want to beg his brother for help—he felt disgust at the thought—but it may be his only option.

It was someone he recognized. He didn't know her exclusively, but he'd seen her with Zoey's group, and he'd always thought the girl was like fire trapped. She seemed like she had a temper, and it only took so much to set her off. She, of course, was beautiful—exceptionally beautiful for a mortal girl. And she might be his saving grace.

What was her name? It was on the tip of his tongue. He couldn't think of it—all he could feel was anguish at her tears. She should not be crying. Whoever had done this to her should pay.

And then, he remembered her name, and used what was remaining of his strength to utter it:

"Nicole!"

_Nicole_

Nicole had been ready to end it all. She'd felt like no one really cared about her. She'd decided she would never find love in this miserable world. So she'd come to the shattered tree to return to Nyx and let herself find peace in the only way she could—in death.

But then she heard her name: "Nicole!" It was whispered, so faint that she almost didn't hear it. She looked down at the tree and gasped, realizing there was a small hole embedded in the remaining wood.

And there was a man sticking out of it. He was staring up at her, his eyes full of pain. "Help me..."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she moved forward to help him. For one, she couldn't deny someone in need of assistance. For two, she didn't want anyone to bear witness to her suicide. She tried to pull him, but he was so heavy that it took almost five minutes just to get him halfway out. He was groaning, too—he was in pain. She couldn't see any visible cuts or bruises, but she could tell he was in pain from the awkward way he was lying.

"Are you okay, sir?" she asked.

"I... I will be fine." Nicole froze. She realized she recognized that seductive, deep voice from anywhere... And she'd known who he was from the second she'd seen him. She just hadn't admitted it to herself. But here he was... so beautiful and perfect and injured.

Erebus.

"Erebus?" she whispered.

"Yes, it is I," he moaned. "Now get me out of here so I can heal." Even in pain, he was beautiful. His dark golden hair framed his face adequately, and his seductive amber eyes were vulnerable. His magnificent, full lips were underneath his teeth—he was biting them. His body was muscular, more so than any boy—or man—she'd seen before, except maybe Kalona. With a start, Nicole realized he looked pretty similar to Kalona, besides his hair.

"I don't think you'll heal like before," she whispered, knowing deep in her gut that she was right. "Something's telling me you're... different. I don't know how, but you've changed."

"I am... mortal." He sounded disgusted, like that was the worst thing possible, as if he'd called himself a hobo.

"Why? What happened?" Her voice was soft with understanding—she knew what it was like to be isolated from an environment you cared about.

"I... I was touched by Darkness." His voice was full of anguish and regret now. "Nyx's penalty was: I had to fall, be turned mortal."

"That's a little overkill," she said, her voice sharper than usual. "It was an accident, wasn't it? Nyx should have given you a chance." She felt the rightness of it deep in her soul, but who was she to judge a goddess? Nyx could do what she wanted, because she was just that: a fucking goddess.

"I agree. But alas, Nyx is often one to make decisions she does not mean in the heat of the moment. However, once immortality is taken, it cannot be restored unless she herself restores it with ancient Light, and she will not do that. The price is too high."

"She has to pay prices for Light?"

"Everyone must pay the price, be they mortal or immortal."

Nicole went silent, thinking about the price she'd paid.

"Just get me out of here." He sounded exasperated. "I will elaborate further when I am standing and well."

She nodded and went back to pulling him out of the hole. It took ten unnerving minutes, but when he was finally free, he stood and brushed the dirt off his robe, which somehow looked torn and ragged even though it was perfect and polished. "Thank you, Nicole." Now that they were standing face-to-face, his voice sounded much sexier—full of angst. She realized he looked younger than usual, about nineteen or twenty—right around her age. She gritted her teeth. _This man has got to be the sexiest guy _alive_._

His lips lifted in what almost looked like a smile. "What is it? Why are you staring at me?"

"You're... pretty," she murmured, surprised at herself.

His smile turned into an all out grin, and it made him look so hot that she had to look away because her retinas were about to fall off. "Thank you. You are very pretty yourself."

She blushed. "Thanks."

"You are welcome, _l'ourie._" The word rolled off his tongue so naturally that she froze.

"What does that mean?"

"It's beauty, in the language of the old. A language you probably would not have heard of."

"Well, that's sweet of you." She smiled at him, feeling all her past worries fade. Her icy exterior seemed to melt.

"Ah." He sighed. "Your entire face changes when you smile. You are beautiful when you are firm, but when you smile..."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she just nodded at him. She bit her lip against the desire she was feeling. There was _no _way Erebus wanted her. She was just a girl—a _vampyre _girl, at that. A Mortal girl. He'd slept with a goddess. She was pretty certain he was just being nice, and he had no romantic interest in her at all.

So why couldn't she let go of the idea that maybe, for once, someone actually liked her? Why couldn't she stop noticing how beautiful he was, and how he kept noticing _her_? And how he looked as nervous as any teenage boy would be?

She swallowed, clearing her throat. "Well, if you need help, I can take you to Thanatos and Kalona. I'm sure they can—"

"No!" The fury in Erebus's voice almost made her jump, but she held her ground. "No. I refuse to beg my brother for help."

"Just Thanatos then. She'll figure out something." Nicole closed her eyes. If he was mortal, why was he still so _hot_? "So, you're sure you're mortal? Just because your wings are gone..."

"Kalona's wings disappeared, and now he is a vampyre, is he not?" Erebus's voice was bitter.

"Yeah, but..."

"Yes, I am mortal." He sounded disgusted. "I believe I will outlive a human, but as I do not have a vampyre's Mark, I do not know exactly what I am. I believe you could put me in the same category as your Prophetess, Aphrodite. Maybe I'm a spiritual mortal, like she is."

"A spiritual mortal?" Nicole said, surprised by the term.

He sighed. "A spiritual mortal is a human touched by Nyx. These types of humans are rare, because usually humans put all their faith in an absent god who can do nothing for them. Aphrodite is the first. She is a Prophetess, and her powers make her more immortal than any other human."

"I thought even vampyres were mortal?"

"They have _some_ immortality in them because of their powers, even though it is not a lot. Aphrodite has that same amount, but she is human, which makes her able to live as long as a vampyre, and probably more. I believe that's what I am."

So she finally knew what Aphrodite was. That answered the question she'd been wanting to ask Nyx for the longest. Nicole sighed. "Well, then, that means you're still part of the loop. I need to talk to Zoey now, to explain this spiritual mortal stuff to her so she knows what Aphrodite is."

"Zoey... Zoey Redbird?" Erebus said softly.

"Yeah." She hated the affection in his voice, hated the idea that she could lose another guy to Zoey Redbird. She wasn't listening to the part of her that was being rational, saying the affection wasn't _that _type. "What about her?"

"Nothing. I just... remembered something Nyx told me before I fell." Erebus looked surprised, almost like he hadn't expected himself to say the words.

Nicole didn't comment on that, just nodded her head like she knew what the hell he was talking about.

"Take me to Thanatos." He looked troubled but determined. "Indeed, maybe she can help me figure out what to do. And do you not have a battle to fight in just a meager twenty-four hours?"

Nicole nodded again. "I'll take you to Thanatos." She bit her lip. He only wanted her help so he could get to Thanatos and Zoey. He didn't care about her.

Why did she care so much who he cared about? She barely _knew _the guy! Why were his feelings of so much relevance to her?

Swallowing her irritation, she turned and led the way to the tunnels.

...

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I took so long to update. I was going to add another part—Kramisha's POV—but that's best saved for next chapter, which will continue the Erebus storyline. Ecole, anyone? :)**

** The reason I took so long is because I was late on my McAfee payment, and I didn't want to update and risk getting a virus, so I had to wait. As soon as it was paid, I updated. **

** I hope you guys enjoy it! Beware: we're about 60% of the way through BATTLED, and there's only a few more chapters until the battle that will blow you away (and probably make you do a spit take). :)**

** Love you guys! **

** XOXO,**

** Casey**


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen  
**  
_Erebus_

Erebus was only mildly annoyed.

Honestly, it wasn't _Nicole's _fault he'd fallen from heaven, so he had no true reason to have anger or aggression towards her. But honestly again, it wasn't toward her. The longer he stayed on this incessant planet—ever-changing, ever-_mortal_—the longer he knew that he wanted to return to the Otherworld, even if it wasn't exclusively Nyx he returned to. He wanted to be looked up to, to feel like a god- and currently, he felt very small and insignificant.

_Maybe it's because I am small and insignificant,_ he thought. _Maybe fate truly holds no place for me.  
_  
No. That was ridiculous. Of course fate held a place for him. He was still alive, wasn't he?

They reached the tunnels, Nicole letting him lean on her shoulder for support. She didn't say anything, her face in the hard, emotionless cold mask it had been in since they'd left, but something about her tense position suggested she liked his touch. Actually, he thought she was more aware of him than she was letting on. He knew females perfectly, knew their motivations and desires and reasons- and he knew resistance was the most blatant sign of sexual attraction.

Who wouldn't be attracted to him? He was Erebus. He was a god, and the god who had protected Nyx at that.

_Such vain thoughts,_ a part of him snapped. He realized that part was right. He wasn't a god. He was mortal. He had to remember that- had to not let the self-righteous thoughts consume him.

They made it down the stairs, and Nicole opened the door. She looked pointedly at him. "You're gonna have to lift your own weight now," she said. "I'm sure you're fine."

"I could have lifted my own weight a long time ago," he snapped.

"And fell and not been able to get back up like one of those commercials?" Her tone was dubious. "You know you didn't have the strength to walk all the way here without any type of support or help."

She was right, he knew, but there was a tightness in her voice that he'd come to know as her fighting voice—the voice she used when she was fighting attraction for him. He saw her cheeks grow red as he stared at her. "What are you staring at?" she demanded.

"A beautiful girl," he vowed. And it was true. She did look beautiful. The layers of makeup he'd seen her with before were off, her long, dark brown hair falling down to nearly the small of her back. Her short, small figure, though petite, was strong and muscular, and Erebus had the feeling she could knock anyone out who messed with her.

"Well... That's flattering," she whispered politely. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Her voice raised a notch. "Why do you keep telling me I'm beautiful? Trying to seduce me or something? 'Cause it won't work." She shook her head, and Erebus was surprised to see the threat of tears in her eyes. "I'm done with boys. I might as well go lesbian."

"Why?" Not meaning to, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She froze but didn't recoil. He felt her body shivering under his hand. "Who hurt you?"

She cringed, and he realized he'd said it in a dangerous tone, his voice deep and menacing with his anger—and rightfully so. Anyone who had hurt his Nicole must die.

Wait.

His Nicole? She wasn't _his _anything. She was just a mortal who had helped him find the tunnels, where a High Priestess lived who could help him. Nothing more, nothing less.

She seemed to realize the implications of his words, too, and simply shrugged. "Lots of boys."

"Like who?"

"Well, for starters..." She hesitated. "Don't tell anybody this."

"Who would I tell, Nicole?"

"I'm just making sure we're clear."

"Okay, well, we're clear. Now go ahead."

She surprised him by actually cracking a smile. "My ex boyfriend Drew was the first. Dallas was second. Then Stark."

"You and James Stark were a thing?" Erebus tried not to sound disgusted. "I thought he and Zoey were destined."

"Apparently they are." There was a bitter edge to her voice that suggested she'd had a serious crush on Stark. "Talking about this is bringing back my hatred for boys. Horses solve everything."

It was then, for the first time, that he noticed the beautiful, horse-like tattoos adorning either side of her face. "You have an affinity for horses?"

She nodded. "I'm the red vampyre Horse Mistress. Didn't Nyx tell you?"

"Nyx never said anything about that." He said it almost like a question.

"Well, I am." Her shoulders straightened slightly. "It's a big honor to me. I've always loved horses, ever since I was little."

"I'm fond of horses too," he admitted.

"Really?" She sounded skeptical.

"Really." He waggled his brows at her, which—to his shock—caused her to laugh. "I'm a pro."

"I doubt it," she said through her laughs.

"You want to have a horse race?" he challenged. "We can, if you want to."

"I think I'll take you up on that," she said.

It was then that he realized his hand was still against her skin. And it had moved from her shoulder to her own hand, his fingers threaded almost unconsciously through hers.

She seemed to realize at the same time. Their eyes met and held, and he couldn't look away.

What was the emotion coursing through him, hot and fast and sweet? She swallowed against it, trying to remain calm. It wasn't desire, though he was feeling that too. It was... It was a much fiercer version of what he felt- no, what he used to feel—for Nyx.

But he didn't know Nicole. Sure, he'd seen her before, and he'd trained her. But he didn't know much about her, besides her beauty... Her amazing smile... Her long, lustrous hair...

Erebus didn't realize what he was doing until he was already moving forward, his body moving against his will. Nicole didn't move, but she did freeze, her eyes full of confusion and uncertainty. He knew then that she felt this hot longing too- the desire to kiss, to be together.

But he wasn't as strong as she was.

His free hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer to him and softly squeezing her body. He heard her sigh of pleasure as his lips moved closer to hers. Their eyes met once more, and then he closed his eyes, bit his lip, and...

Someone cleared their throat, and both Erebus and Nicole jumped away from each other guiltily. He felt his face grow hot—was this what it felt like to blush? He turned his eyes to the red vampyre before him—Stevie Rae. Her eyes were confused as they flicked between Erebus and Nicole, but if she'd seen their near-kiss, she didn't say anything. "We got your call. There's a meeting in the kitchen. We're gonna talk about what Erebus is. Zoey sent me to get y'all."

"O... Okay," Nicole breathed. "We're coming."

Stevie Rae nodded and turned away, her shoes clicking against the floor.

Erebus opened his mouth to say something, but Nicole turned away from him. Just before she did, he caught a glimpse of her face- it was back to the cold, hard mask. And that was all anyone else would have seen. But he had been reading faces for eons, and he knew the emotion that had appeared in her eyes just before she'd turned away.

Pain.

...

A few moments later, they finally made it to the meeting. Instead of the myriad of fledglings that usually waited, there was only Zoey, Aurox, Stark, Rephaim, Shaunee, Nisroc, Aphrodite, Thanatos, and Stevie Rae. Erebus's eyes scanned the room for Kalona, but he was nowhere to be found. _Where is my brother_? he wondered.

He tried not to feel everyone's eyes on him as he took his seat, but he knew they were. Now, he wasn't a god. He was fresh meat, and they knew it.

_That's not fair,_ part of him said. _They're for Light, not Darkness._

But he was still worried, still afraid they would use him. He was actually, truly afraid. Erebus had never been afraid in his life.

"Erebus," Thanatos said. His eyes moved to hers. She looked calm and not at all disturbed by his suddenly-mortal nature. He realized she was used to this—was used to immortals turning mortal—because it was exactly what had happened with Kalona.

He offered a curt nod. "High Priestess Thanatos."

"Simply Thanatos is enough. Care to explain to us exactly what happened?"

He took a deep breath and just TOLD them—told them all about how he and Nyx had been disagreeing lately, and how he'd let the Darkness touch him, and how she'd removed his immortality and cast him from her realm. About how he would most likely never return.

When he was finished, it was silent for a moment. Then Aphrodite spoke up. "So basically, you fucked up."

"Aphrodite!" Thanatos chastised.

He laughed. "No, she's fine. She can talk to me however she wants- I'm not a god. And I suppose you're right, Aphrodite—I did 'fuck up'."

She grinned. "Well, at least he admits it."

"So... Nyx cast you down, and you're mortal, but you're less mortal than a human." Zoey looked thoughtful. "I think you might have an affinity."

"Really?" If he did, it would mean Nyx still cared- which would show how stupid the Goddess really was.

At that moment, Erebus realized he was truly done with Nyx. She'd let him fall from her realm coldly, blindly, guilelessly, without any thought of their love of her feelings for him. She might have been one of the good guys, but she wasn't good for him.

But she might have a plan for him. So he let Zoey take his hands. The fledgling High Priestess closed her eyes. After a moment, his hands grew warm. They started to feel really hot.

"Ow!" Zoey cried, dropping her hands. "You..." She opened her eyes, staring at him. "You have an affinity for fire."

He gasped, staring down at the hot tongues of fire running along his palm. He locked eyes with Shaunee, who nodded, feeling it too.

It was true.

The Goddess had gifted him with a fire affinity.

That meant two things. One, the theory of him not being a normal mortal was confirmed. Two, either the Goddess still cared or she had a plan for him—two equally dangerous possibilities.

He felt the fire fade from his palms. He wouldn't think about it now. With a start, he remembered that they now had only less than a day until the fatalistic battle that would determine all their fates.

"That could be really useful in the battle," Stevie Rae said, eerily echoing his wayward thought.

"Speaking of the battle." Thanatos sounded pained. "Kalona has come up with a new theory. He believes Neferet and Theseus will strike Zoey during the battle."

"So they're going to jump her?" Stevie Rae growled. "I'm not letting that happen."

"I'm not either," Rephaim added, to Erebus's surprise.

"Well, if they do try, I've got five elements for them. They can't get me. I can beat them." Zoey sounded confident and determined. Erebus realized she had made a total three-sixty. She was no longer the scared, simpering girl she'd been when Nyx had chosen her. Zoey Redbird was now truly a High Priestess.

"I have faith," Shaunee said. "So what are we doing- waiting here, or camping out in front of the House of Night?"

"I think it'd be better to camp out," Rephaim said. "We would have more of an advantage in the morning."

"I agree," Stevie Rae said, beaming at him. Then, her face grew serious. "Plus, we'll need a place to meet with the Sons of Erebus—" she tried unsuccessfully not to look at him- "that Sgiach sent."

"Sons of Erebus. Do we still call them that?" Aphrodite said.

"I don't see why not," Thanatos said. "Just because he is mortal, does not mean he's incapable of ruling."

"Correct," Erebus said quietly, feeling a slight stab of anger. How could they even doubt that he would still want to be the ruler of his sons? These mortals would be damned.

"So we'll still call them Sons of Erebus," Thanatos said.

"Okay," Shaunee said. She yawned. "I'm tired. Nisroc and I are about to go watch Game of Thrones season three premiere. We recorded it."

"I have to watch it too," Rephaim seconded.

"Me too," Stevie Rae agreed. "I hope there's Daenerys."

"And Starks," Shaunee sighed. "They're all so hot."

"Okay, we can have a GoT discussion later. Let's talk about TVD," Zoey said.

"Nina Dobrev is really pretty. I'm surprised she's not a vamp," Aphrodite said.

"But the sexy Ian Somerhalder is," Shaunee appraised. She shot an apologetic glance to Nisroc. "Sorry, but it's true."

"Elena without humanity's really annoying," Stevie Rae said.

"She's really hot," Stark said.

"I want to slap her," Aphrodite agreed. "Goody two-shoes Elena was way fucking better."

"Me too," Zoey concurred. "She needs to take the cure." She yawned. "We'll talk more about this later."

"So here's the plan," Thanatos said. "We take brief, three hour naps. Then we have dinner in Utica Square. Then we go to the House of Night and camp out, and in the morning, the battle will begin."

"Sounds good to me," Shaunee appraised.

"Okay," Zoey said. "I'm going to take my nap, then. Good night." She looked at Aurox, who had been silent through the conversation. "Are you coming?"

Erebus wondered if they had a silent system going on—Aurox one night, Stark the other. It would certainly explain the mixing up.

Aurox nodded and rose to his feet, following Zoey. They left after a brief goodbye. Shortly after, everyone left until only he and Nicole remained.

"You want to walk me to my room?" she asked.

"Well, yes, but... I was wondering. I'd like to sleep there too."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Not like that. Just because I don't have a room," he explained.

"There's plenty of rooms," she whispered.

"Don't be like that." He took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Please?"

"Sure," she gasped.

He let her go, and they walked in silence to her room. His mind was brimming with questions. Why had she given up so easily? Why wasn't she just letting herself be with him? What was the issue?

When they reached the room, Nicole changed clothes and instantly moved to the bed. Without hesitation, he removed his shirt.

"Do you have anything I can sleep in?"

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes moving from his face to his chest. She bit her lip, looking almost scared. "No. You're going to have to stick with your jeans."

"Fine." He climbed into the bed.

She did the same, lying a safe and far (but not _too_ far) distance from him. "Scoot over."

He scooted closer to her.

"You know what I..." She sighed. "Whatever."

Erebus had never been happier in his life.

"Nicole," he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I just wanted to tell you that... That I really like you. You're funny and beautiful and I believe you have Nyx's favor. I know you're blessed."

She was silent for so long that he almost repeated what he'd said. Finally, she said, "I like you too."

His heart leapt. "Really?"

"But I don't know_ how_ I like you." His heart fell. "I have to get to know you better."

"Okay," he whispered.

She turned, smiling softly at him. "Goodnight, Erebus. I know something about you too. Nyx still cares enough about you to give you an affinity, so obviously she's got plans."

"Thank you for telling me that," he whispered.

Without warning her, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around her body. She tensed but didn't move. He slid in behind her, holding her tightly and protecting her from whatever demons were after her. It felt warm and natural and mortal—and for once, that was the way Erebus liked it.

It was in that position that, with Nyx completely absent from his heart and Stark absent from Nicole's, they shied into unconsciousness.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Zoey_

It was time.

I could feel it in the air. The tension was growing stronger. Everyone was with their respective partner, me included (both Stark and Aurox were sitting with me at the moment). I couldn't believe it was time, but it was time—something I had had nightmares about, lost sleep over, and nearly cried over.

In just a few short hours, we would take up arms against an army of humans charged with chaos magick, so that they were now hellbent on killing us.

I closed my eyes.

"Zoey?" Stark's voice was so soft and warm that I opened them. And he'd called me Zoey, when he always called me Z. "I just want you to know I love you."

"I love you, as well," Aurox said. His voice sounded hard, though the anger wasn't directed toward me. He wanted to protect me—wanted to kill anyone who messed with me. Goddess, they were both such muscle-brained idiots.

Idiots I loved.

Idiots I was going to have to choose between soon.

I took a deep breath. "I love you guys, too, but come on. We should probably get to the kitchen now. We're late. Stevie Rae and Kramisha already got the tents. Everyone's waiting on us."

"Whatever you want," Stark vowed.

Was it my imagination, or did Aurox shoot him a dirty look?

I walked with them, one of my hands in Aurox's and one in Stark's, to the kitchen. We were completely silent along the way. Part of me wondered if it was because we had nothing to say, or if it was because we were scared. Scared we would die in battle. Scared Neferet would win.

Finally, we made it to the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, everyone was waiting for us in the hall—Stevie Rae, Rephaim, Aphrodite, Darius, Kramisha, Jordan, Thanatos, Kalona, Erebus, Nicole, Shaylin, Erik, and all the red fledglings—Sophie, Johnny B, Ant, and the entire gang. For some stupid reason, my throat closed up as I looked at them and they looked at me—trusting in me—believing in me. At that moment, I truly felt like their High Priestess—and that was all the victory I needed to clear my throat and speak.

"Fledglings and vampyres." My voice sounded more calm, powerful, and badass than I thought I could manage. "Tonight, we go to the camp that will be our battle scene. They've taken our House of Night, and now they want to take our lives. Can we allow them to do that?"

"No!" everyone shouted, and the anger in their voices sent a vibration of power up my spine. In that moment, I finally realized what it truly felt like to lead. And I liked it.

"We'll fight to our last breaths, Priestess," Darius said. He was so trusting—so noble. I saw Aphrodite look at him so warmly that I almost thought I was seeing things. No matter what she claimed, I knew she really loved him—and he was good for her. I had no attraction to Darius, but I couldn't deny how perfect he was.

"Good," I said. "I'll do the same. We can't let them win. We can't let Neferet win. She's behind all this. She's just using them as a ploy to distract us from the real problem: her."

"Zoey, I think you should be out of the fight," Stark said quietly. "You and a few other people. Someone needs to track down Neferet."

I bit my tongue against the sharp objection I had. He was right. If we didn't destroy Neferet, it would defeat the whole purpose of the fight. Hatred washed through me so strong that I stumbled and nearly fell. I wanted her dead. She was responsible for so much death—Professor Nolan's, Loren's (even though that one didn't really count, I felt obligated to add it), Heath's, my mom's, Jack's, Dragon's, Damien's, very nearly Rephaim's, and several of the red fledglings, including Venus.

"Okay, you're right," I told him. "I'll fight Neferet. I'm supposed to." I could feel it in my bones, like Nyx was guiding me—the right thing for me to do was to track Neferet down and kill her. Well, destroy her.

"You won't go alone." Aurox's tone held no room for an argument. "I'll come with you. I know Neferet inside and out. She and I were bound once, remember? Bonds of Darkness have very powerful, lasting effects on both the people bonded. I can still sense things about her sometimes. Maybe that can come in handy."

I nodded. "Aurox, you can come. Stark, you too. I'll need you to help me in case she has Theseus with her."

He nodded, looking almost relieved.

"Just one more person…" I searched the crowd. "Aphrodite." Her eyes lit up in surprise, but I knew I was right. I felt the rightness again. "I need you."

"Why me?" she demanded.

"You and I have known about Neferet's evil since we hated each other—and Goddess knows how long ago _that _was. Plus, she can't read your mind, either. I'm starting to sense that you and I are the only two people who can ever truly defeat Neferet. Your powers may be able to help me."

She grinned. "Okay, then. I'm game. While you're fighting her, can I get a few punches in?"

I smiled. "Sure."

"Ooh, gimme a couple, too," Stevie Rae said.

"Just a few kicks," Shaunee said.

"I want to spit in her eye," Kramisha said.

Shaylin just nodded in agreement.

"You guys are crazy," I said, but I was fighting a smile.

"They have a point," Kalona said, his voice sounding so hard and deadly that I had to look at him. I didn't think that as long as I looked at Kalona, I would ever stop being awestruck at his beauty. Now, he was breathtaking. His long, dark hair was swept elegantly along either side of his face, framing the sapphire tattoos that were now his. His muscular body was tensed and ready to battle. Kalona was even more beautiful as a vampyre than he had been as an angel—and I wasn't sure that was possible. He smiled, making me want to die. "When you look into her eyes as she dies, channel my hatred, too."

"Of course," I said. Of course I'd channel his hatred. If it weren't for Neferet's evil, Kalona may still have been Dark at this very moment.

"Me, as well," Thanatos said simply. I wanted to think she had much more disturbing things she wanted to do to the High Priestess, but she didn't say them aloud for fear of losing control of her temper. I was proud of her—she was finally getting it under control. Strange that I, a simple fledgling, would be proud of an old, wise High Priestess.

"Just one thing." Was that exasperation in Rephaim's voice, or something… darker? "How will you know where to find her?"

I was just about to say how good a question that was when Stark exclaimed, "I know where she is."

"You knew where she is this whole time and didn't tell us?" Kramisha demanded.

"It was foggy. When I… well, died… everything kinda went blank for a while. I'm just starting to remember things… barely. I think Neferet did something to my memory. I remember everything before I was taken." I was the only one who noticed his eyes flicker to my face and away. "But after that, it's like… it's like someone had taken over my body."

"Chaos magick," Stevie Rae whispered.

"So that's what the humans are all injected with?" Aphrodite said. "That's what's got their panties in twists?"

"It's that powerful, that you can do things against your will?" Shaylin cried. "We might be in for some trouble here."

"It is, child." Thanatos's voice was impassive. "I know of chaos magick, as I have dealt with the darkest kind before—compulsion."

"Isn't that when people can make you do things you don't want to do?" Erik said.

"Yes."

"Like the red vampyres and fledglings," I said softly.

"Their compulsion is based in Light—well, these reds are. The Dark ones… theirs is probably much more powerful. Compulsion is basically using Darkness—or Light, in certain cases—to tap into the mind and control it. Depending on how powerful the user is, compulsion can be used for any amount of time."

"So we can use compulsion," Stevie Rae said.

"I believe Neferet passed it on when she used the Darkness to awaken you. Instead of giving you simply a life force, she gave you other magicks, magicks that were switched to Light when you chose it."

"So you think Neferet used compulsion on Stark to make him Mr. Naughty Guy again?" Aphrodite asked.

"It's a very plausible theory," Kalona said. "I, too, know something of compulsion."

"Why can't blue vampyres use it?" I demanded. I didn't add, "It would be cool to be able to boss people around just by looking at them." But it was implied.

"They can, child." Thanatos smiled. "Those who wield the element spirit have the ability to use compulsion."

Everyone looked at me. I gasped. I could use compulsion?

"No way. I couldn't even get Dragon to let me sit out in fencing," I argued.

"It's probably not strong, and it can only be used when spirit has been manifested, but you do have the power to compel people. You've probably done it before, without even realizing it. Has anyone ever simply agreed to anything you said without another thought?"

I looked at Shaunee and Stevie Rae. "Yeah."

"Try it now," Thanatos urged. "Call spirit."

"Spirit, please come to me," I said. I felt the element manifest, quivering, ready to do whatever I asked of it. I looked at Thanatos. "Now what do I do?"

"Try it on Erik," she said. "He's the only one without an affinity."

I looked at Erik. What should I say? How should I compel him? The spirit swirled around me, purple light glowing under my hands, and I said, "Erik. Kneel."

To my immense shock, he knelt at my feet.

"Say, 'I live to serve you, Priestess Zoey,'" I commanded.

"I live to serve you, Priestess Zoey," he repeated in a bored monotone.

"This is so cool!" I cried. "Okay, spirit, you can go now." Spirit drifted away from me, and I felt my soul settle.

"Compulsion is valuable," Thanatos said. "It can be used to help people, but it can also be used for Darkness."

"Couldn't we just compel all the humans to leave us alone?" Shaunee said. "As anticlimactic as that is…"

"It would take more magick than we have. Chaos magick is too strong to be combated by simple compulsion."

I sighed in disappointment, though no one else really made a reaction.

Jordan gasped, his eyes widening. He pointed at me. "Her," he gasped.

"What is it? Are the voices telling you something?"

He nodded, still gasping for breath. "They're saying, _'be careful with what you have been given'_. And you, Misha… They said just gone' head and give her the damn prophecy. Just like that."

Kramisha sighed and dug inside her pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper. "I wrote it earlier. Don't read it out loud yet. You'll know when it's time. But you can read it to yourself. Just don't say them words out loud." She glared at Jordan. "I was gonna wait till after the fight."

"They said, 'so what'."

"Tell 'em to shut up."

"No, they kinda right." Jordan grinned at her.

Surprising everyone, Kramisha slapped him.

"What the hell?" He jerked away from her.

"That's for being such a big-ass idiot." Then, surprising us all even more, she knotted her fingers in his hair and kissed him. They kissed passionately, his hands moving slowly to her waist as the kiss deepened. I looked away, smiling softly. This was too private; we shouldn't be here.

Finally, they broke away from each other, and I looked up. "But you my idiot," she said so softly I almost didn't hear her.

"Okay, I know you too are all in love and shit, but we really need to get to the House of Night so we can set up camp," Aphrodite whined.

I looked toward Johnny B, who I remembered having a thing for Kramisha. Was that jealousy I saw in his eyes?

"Aphrodite's right," I said. "Everyone head to the bus."

We all walked to the bus, everyone with their respective partners, and I could feel the air around us changing. The battle was truly growing nearer and nearer. In the morning, we would fight until our last breaths. I knew in my heart this was the last time I would face Neferet, whether that meant I would die or she would. The air seemed thick with blood. But the fact that I could sense that and felt no apprehension meant one thing.

I was ready.

_Nicole_

When they arrived at the House of Night and set up tents, everyone was assigned one. She and Erebus got to share a tent, because they were close and because he could protect her, which made her mad, though she didn't comment. After stripping off her clothes (Zoey had instructed them to wear pajamas under their normal clothes; it would be warm outside) she laid down and jumped.

Erebus was suddenly right beside her, filling the space that had been empty before.

"Don't do that," she snapped. "Next time, say something."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'll try to be more careful."

She glowered at him. Even so, it was hard to be mad at him. He was too beautiful. He resembled his brother Kalona—maybe why that was why he was so beautiful. The only difference was the lighter tone of Erebus's curly (and shorter) hair.

She felt Erebus's arms lock around her waist, but she didn't do anything to stop it. Just as she had earlier, when their skin came in contact, every pretense of not being attracted to him seemed to melt away, and she was like a puddle on the ground. She couldn't breathe. She could feel his muscular abs against her back, so hard and sexy that she had to bite her lip to withhold a moan.

She gritted her teeth. What was wrong with her? Nicole had promised herself she would not again fall into a seductive boy's trap. So why was she?

She scooted a few feet away from Erebus, though she didn't pull his hands away from her waist. His arms simply extended, so that he was awkwardly holding her several inches away from his chest. Once she couldn't feel his muscles against her back, it was easier to try to fall asleep.

Though try was still the key word.

"Why do you resist me?" His voice was full of amusement.

She jerked back, surprised by the question. She feinted ignorance, saying, "Hmm?"

"You heard what I said. You keep acting like you're not attracted to me. We both know you are."

She felt a flare of an old anger, an anger she used to feel when talking to Dallas. "That's why. You're a fucking hothead, Erebus. You think you can get any girl you want. Well, you can't get me. I would never go for someone who was a god. You're too bigheaded and vain and selfish to care about anyone. We can be friends. But anything more than that? Hell no."

Erebus was silent for so long that Nicole turned to see his facial expression. She gasped, regretting every word he'd said. Pain was etched so deeply into his eyes that she almost wanted to cry. _How could I hurt him that way? _

"Nicole… I do care about you." Suddenly, he was shouting, his face full of anger. "Of course I care! Nicole, I showed you love and affection when no other male would even look your way. I keep trying to be with you. The others can see how much I care for you, so why can't you? You're too stubborn to accept what is!"

"It isn't 'what is'," she argued. "I don't believe in soul mates."

"Who said anything about soul mates?" His voice was simply curious, as was his face.

She realized no one had ever said anything about soul mates. She froze in her spot. Was he implying that they were soul mates? Ew. No way.

"Look, Erebus," she said softly. "I'm not sure how I feel about anyone. Too many boys hurt me for me to—"

Suddenly, Erebus was everywhere. His arms had found her waist again, and his cool breath was in her face, his lips only inches from hers. "Heal. With me."

"I barely know you," she whispered.

He glared at her. "I'm Erebus. I fell from Heaven. I'm mortal. I like you. What else is there to know?"

"Like… what's your favorite color? What do you like to do? When's your birthday? Things like that."

"Those are such trivial questions," he snapped. "My favorite color is blue, the blue of the sky. I guess I could say I like to… to fly, even though I can't really do that anymore. My birthday… well, let's just say I was born in the summer, a very long time ago."

He was so close that she could feel the vibrations of his voice against her skin, and she liked it. It sent a tingly feeling along her body… a feeling that only Dallas had ever made her feel. Happiness. Pleasure.

Attraction.

Nicole couldn't deny it anymore. She was attracted to Erebus. She didn't know where her feelings went past that, but she definitely wanted him.

And she was going to have him.

No.

She'd vowed to herself that she was done with boys. She couldn't run to another _right _after even _making _the promise. There was no way.

Nicole sat straight up in the tent, breathing hard. She pulled her jacket, strewn on the floor, on over her arms, and staggered from the tent. Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, she walked away a few feet and tried to think about horses. She had to focus on something other than Erebus… Erebus's hair… Erebus's lips… Erebus's muscles… Erebus's… everything…

"No." She spoke the word aloud, grinding her teeth together harshly. "No."

"Why?" She jumped. Erebus was behind her. She didn't dare turn around. Why had he followed her.

"Go away, Erebus," she whispered.

He chuckled. "Not by a long shot."

The wind blew, lifting her hair out of her eyes, and she got a side-view of Erebus. She'd swear he was smiling.

"Nicole," he said.

When he used her name, it was like the walls of strength she'd built around herself just crumbled. Everything fell to the ground, and she forgot about everything but him. She barely remembered her birthday. She couldn't stand the attraction. It was more powerful than anything she'd ever felt. She spun around and, making the final decision, did something she had been wanting to do for a long time.

She kissed him.

He was surprised at first, but he regained control quickly, his hands moving to her waist. He pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. She moaned softly as his lips moved to her neck, which had always been her sensitive spot. Soon, they moved back to her lips. When he finally broke the kiss, they just stared at each other. Neither could talk at that moment.

_Shit, did I really just kiss him?_

Erebus regained control first. He smiled victoriously at her. "Now, come on. Let's get back to bed."

_Neferet_

She could feel it coming, the consistency of the air changing. Something Dark was on the horizon.

Neferet sat forward in her bed, feeling the soft, comfortable down against her skin. Part of her remembered the hazy, dreamy allure she felt when waking up after sex with Kalona. This was different, more visceral, more real. For what she had with Theseus was real.

Beyond all doubt, Neferet was truly and deeply in love with him.

"Are you awake?" she called softly. He didn't stir, but she felt his body vibrate with laughter.

"Of course, Priestess." He sounded almost exactly like Johnny now, but it didn't scare her in the way it used to.

"The People of Faith that I brainwashed with chaos magick are going to attack Zoey and her circle tomorrow." She didn't say it like a question, simply stating the fact.

"I know." Theseus turned toward her. "You're worried. You care about them."

He didn't say it accusingly, just observing what he thought. And, Neferet realized, he was right. Now that she was Light, she had no reason for antagonism against Zoey Redbird. The fledgling High Priestess had done nothing to her. She'd always simply been standing between what Neferet truly wanted and what she was getting. And Neferet had hated that very much. But now that she didn't want that anymore… why should she hate Zoey?

Neferet wanted nothing more than to convince the fledgling High Priestess that she was on her side. But she knew Zoey would never, in a million years, believe that Neferet had turned Light.

Neferet nodded, even though Theseus couldn't see her. "I am. But there is something I must do. Something to ensure that no Dark magick stops Zoey from winning the battle tomorrow."

"What?"

"Kill my sisters." Neferet's voice was full of finality. She'd made up her mind. When she'd gone to confront the Tsi Sgili at their home just outside Broken Arrow, she'd secretly created a bond with them, a bond slightly reminiscent of the one she'd had with Aurox. Now, all their minds were linked. It would be excruciating, but… she could do it. She could kill them without killing herself.

She sat up in bed and crossed her legs, closing her eyes. The magick she was invoking seemed to swell up within her, and she very nearly screamed. She gritted her teeth. Any indication of pain would make Theseus want to stop the spell, and that was the _last _thing she wanted to happen. It hurt worse than anything she'd ever felt. She threw her head back on the bed, her back arching in a position that was slightly unnatural, and fought the painful shriek that was building in her throat. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. She unlocked her teeth and screamed so loud that Theseus jumped beside her.

The pain was so rash, so intense, that for a second Neferet lost consciousness. When she regained it, her entire body was cold, stiff—but the pain was gone.

She closed her eyes, trying not to sob.

"Neferet!" She opened her eyes, looking at Theseus, whose eyes were wide. "Neferet! What happened?"

"I did what needed to be done," she whispered.

Either he didn't really care (which she doubted) or he knew she didn't want to talk about it. Whichever one worked for her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her lips softly. "It's okay," he whispered when the kiss was broken. "You're fine. Now try and get some sleep."

Curled up against him, Neferet lulled into unconsciousness. She'd done what needed to be done.

And now all twelve of her sisters were dead.

…

**Thank you for waiting so patiently while I wrote these last two chapters! It took me a long time because I was editing them and coming up with the outlines for the next two chapters (I outline chapter by chapter instead of doing the entire story; it's much easier for me.) I can tell you this: the battle—at least the first half of it—is going to be epic. You'll probably cheer, maybe throw your computer/phone/iPad across the room, and want to have passionate sex with the guys. :) What's coming is definitely interesting. There's a twist soon that will throw you guys sooooo far. You won't see it coming from a mile away. **

**Now, about my other stories. I will update them soon, but my main focus is getting BATTLED finished for you guys, which should be soon. We only have about seven or eight more chapters, including the epilogue, until you guys have to say goodbye to Zoey and the gang for good. This probably isn't the last HoN fanfic I'll write, but it's the last one in this universe. **

**I have some questions for you guys before we go into the battle (which begins at the end of the next chapter btw). **

**1. Do you like Neferet as a character now, or will you always hate her?**

**2. Do you think Zoey is more of a High Priestess now?**

**3. As always, I have to ask: Zorox (Zoey/Aurox) or Zark (Zoey/Stark)?**

**4. And how do you feel about Ecole?**

**Thanks for being so patient. See you next time, guys—and when we meet again, we will be enemies. :D**

**XOXO,**

**Casey Redbird**


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Stark_

Stark could feel the changes. The sun rose in the sky, beaming down on them and marking the beginning of a day that would utterly shatter everything they thought they knew about their lives—and then some.

He rolled over sleepily. As she'd slept with Aurox the night before, he had agreed to be alone that night, giving Zoey some time with Stark. He wonder if that meant something. Or maybe it didn't.

He didn't care. If he died, at least Z's face would be the last thing he saw.

_I will not let her leave my side,_ he thought stubbornly. _Even if I have to fight Darkness himself to get my wish._

He looked into her eyes and jerked back with surprise. The girl laying next to him was not Zoey.

It was Neferet.

Though he was horrified, Stark couldn't deny that she was beautiful. Her long, auburn hair fell in waves behind her back. Her seductive green eyes, glistening like diamonds, stared back at him. She was scantily clad, wearing only a thin black nightgown that barely covered her skin, which seemed to glow with raw energy. She smiled up at him.

"Neferet, what the_ hell_ are you doing in my bed?" he snapped.

Her smile faded and her eyes widened. "Stark? It worked!"

"What worked? Where's Zoey?"

"Zoey. Tell her I—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the apparition faded like smoke on a windy day, and something else happened- something so much more powerful, something that still had the ability to move him.

His arms were around Zoey.

He felt her smooth, strong skin against his, her ebony hair against his shirt. Her eyes were closed, but she looked even more beautiful somehow while she was asleep. She sighed into him, relaxing, her body matching his perfectly.

At first, being with Z had been so easy. She'd been his lifeline, his savior, even though HE was the Guardian in the relationship. At first their attraction to each other had been purely sexual, but she'd grown to love him—as he loved her. However, since Aurox had returned as Heath, nothing had been the same. There had always been tension between the trio, and Stark hated that. He wanted her all to himself. But he knew in his heart that his love for Zoey meant he _couldn't_ be selfish with her. If she chose Aurox, he would let her go.

Though they'd had their moments (even sex a few times) over the last couple of weeks, nothing had felt as intimate as he felt right now, watching her sleep. Unable to stop himself, his hand moved to her hair, stroking it softly. He'd always loved her hair, and playing with it had been one of his favorite pastimes, even when he was mad at her.

The motion made her blink. Her eyes turned to him, but he never let go of her hair. They stared at each other, each unable to look away.

"G'mornin', _mo bann ri_," he said softly in a Scottish accent.

Her eyebrows raised, her expression pleasant. "I love it when you do that."

He laughed softly. "Why?"

"It's... I don't know." She blushed.

"Go on, you can tell me."

"It's sexy," she admitted.

This time, his laugh was so loud that he heard the burlap from the next tent over moving. Zoey pressed a finger to his lips. "Shut up! You're waking everyone up."

"Maybe they need to get up. What time is it?"

Zoey looked at her phone, which was resting beside her. "It's 9 A.M. It's so weird to be on a human schedule. But I know that's when they'll come."

"Let's wake everyone up. Do you feel the magick nearby?"

Zoey was quiet for a moment. "No."

"Okay. Still. They could come any time."

"True." Zoey sighed. "I hope we win."

"Me too," Stark said. "It'd suck if we all died."

Surprising them both, Zoey shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder if death wouldn't just be better. I mean, we'd reunite with so many of the friends we've lost."

"Yeah, but you'd be leaving the world to Darkness. We can't die, Z- we're all Light has left."

She sighed. "Fine."

"Neferet." The word spilled off his tongue without him realizing it. As he spoke her name, he recalled the vision, the former terror returning. "Shit. I forgot about Neferet."

"What about her?"

Sighing, Stark told Zoey about the vision he'd seen. When he was done, he said, "Plus, remember, we have to get her. I'm positive she won't come to the fight. She'll stay in her hideout—the penthouse at the Maya."

"We'll go. Me, you, Aurox, and Aphrodite. As soon as they're up."

"No, we can wake them up now. We never know when they'll come," he pointed out.

"Right." Zoey stood and stretched. "I'll wake up Aurox, you wake Aphrodite."

"Kay." Stark and Zoey split up, going to different tents. Pretty soon, most everyone was awake (with the exception of Kramisha, who grumbled something about "these hoes"). They gathered in the tight circle they'd gathered in when Darius and Erebus were instructing. Stark stood at the head, Darius at his side.

"This is what we're going to do," he instructed. "Zoey, Aphrodite, Aurox and I are going to find Neferet. Stevie Rae, you lead them. You're a High Priestess, and only a High Priestess can lead vampyres." She beamed at him, but nodded, squaring her shoulders. "When they come, stand in our position. Don't move first—they'll completely destroy you."

Everyone nodded, so trusting that it made Stark's throat swell up with the threat of tears.

"Stark, I think we should put out a Warrior's Call," Erebus said suddenly. "I know how to do it, and they'll heed to me. They SHOULD still heed to me."

"Do it now," Stark said. "We have to see if it works."

"Okay." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Muttering some words that were unintelligible, but that Stark knew for some reason were Scottish, he looked up. "I've done it. All Sgiach's Warriors will feel it in their souls. The essence of the spell will draw them to the House of Night."

"Let's go," Aphrodite said urgently. "I want to get things started."

"Right," Stark said solemnly.

Together, like a funeral procession, they walked to meet their fate. Stark's hand didn't leave Zoey's once.

And it never would.

_  
Zoey_

I tapped my foot against the ground urgently, both frightened and anxious at the same time. It was time. I'd waited for the chance to destroy Neferet for SO LONG, and it was finally here. It was almost brimming in the air, like a pot of boiling water.

I looked at Aurox, then Stark. The difference in their expression was almost humorous. Aurox looked nervous, his body rigid with fear, where Stark looked fierce, his eyes devoid of almost any emotion apart from eagerness. They were both ready, but in different ways.

I was too. I just didn't know how.

Silently, I prayed to Nyx: _You have to help me. Give me all the strength I can have. I'm going to need it._

"Zo, call the elements," Aurox said. "You'll need power in case she tries to use her weird nasty Tsi Sgili magick on you." He sounded so much like Heath that I had to keep myself from gasping. I nodded instead.

Closing my eyes, I called forth the power that was on the precipice of my soul. "Air, come to me." I felt the wind blowing around me, lifting my hair. "Relax—calm and be as serene as Nyx herself." Whereas there had been a breeze before, the air was virtually still. In my head, I saw an image of Shaylin, smiling supportively at me. I squared my shoulders, glad it was working. To my surprise, the image of Shaylin faded and Damien appeared. He looked so happy that I grinned back at the image before it faded.

"Fire, come to me." I got a visual of Shaunee's face, smiling at me, and with it came the warmth and strength of a burning campfire—the same sensation I felt when drinking blood. "Warm us all and strengthen us so that we are ready to battle."

As Aurox's car pulled into the Mayo's parking lot, I felt no apprehension. "Water, come to me." Surprisingly, I got images of both Nicole and Erin. Nicole's face was impassive but beautiful, aged with the stress that had battered her. Erin's face was cold and mean, as it had always been, but surprisingly enough, her eyes were senile, almost regretful, like she knew she'd done something bad. Though I didn't feel water against my skin, I could almost feel it swishing around inside my body. It was strange. "Bring us your soothing touch, and comfort us." I heard Stark sigh with relief and smiled, knowing I was doing it right.

Aurox parked the car, but no one dared move. Moving would have interrupted the perfect serenity of the circle, a circle casting which held a finality that scared me. This wasn't my last circle casting, was it? It couldn't be. "Earth, come to me." I saw Stevie Rae's face, but she wasn't the beautiful, strong High Priestess I'd just seen off. She was younger, her face not yet aged by stress and fatigue. She was still beautiful, but in a childish way. "Ground us and bring us your joy, your faith that everything will be okay." I saw a green ring of light pulsate around us, and heard more sighs.

Finally, I reached the element I was best at calling, the one I was closest to. "Spirit, come to me." I smiled as I felt my soul leap with joy. "Bring me your peace, and give us all the strength to go on!" Now that all the elements had been called, a ring of silver light glowed around us.

I wanted to laugh, but my face stayed serious. This was no time for games.

Slowly, we got out of the car. No one said anything, we just all walked into the penthouse, shoulders squared. Everyone stayed close. Aurox's shoulder against Aphrodite's. Stark's fingers wound through mine. Vice versa with Aurox and Aphrodite, though it was less intimate and more brother-and-sister. Aurox's free hand stroking my hair. It was as if we thought touch could protect us.

Somehow, I didn't feel scared. Maybe it was the elements coursing through me—which I silently departed- or maybe it was the fact that I'd faced Neferet before. Now, all I could feel was anger. The lust to kill. I wanted her blood— whatever it took to get it. Suddenly ungry for it, I lurched forward, throwing the door open. Without warning, I threw the stairs door open, not wanting to wait on an elevator. No one said anything, just following me.

We finally reached the top floor, and you could hear a pin drop. I stalked towards the door to her lair, and without hesitation, threw it open.

I expected to see her sitting there, her hands in her lap, a bunch of spiders surrounding her or something. Maybe even the nasty Theseus by her side.

What I didn't expect to see was the two of them making out.

Theseus's fingers were threaded through her hair, and they were holding on to each other like the other was a lifeline. She gasped wildly for breath.

I cleared my throat.

Shock appeared in her eyes as they turned toward mine. I felt my anger fade, all my steely resolve weaken as I stared at her face.

She looked different.

Neferet, I realized, looked younger—not in her actual looks, but in her eyes. She looked like the Neferet from the visions, so serene and beautiful that my mouth fell open.

"What happened to you?" was all I could say. She looked like the mom figure again—only now, there was a purity in her eyes that I had never seen before.

She smiled softly at me. "Why, child. I've changed."

...

**How do you like it so far?!**

I didn't want to include any of the battle here, on second thought; however, the end of the next chapter WILL begin with the first hits being thrown. Prepare for shock... :)

Do you think Zoey and the gang will believe that Neferet is good? State your opinion in the reviews!

See you next chapter... :)

XOXO,  
Casey


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

_Zoey_

She certainly_ had_ changed. I could feel the difference. Neferet no longer trafficked with Darkness. She was on the side of Light.

Yet still, I was wary to approach her. It wasn't a gut feeling—it was complete revulsion.

"What... What happened?" I whispered.

"I've found Nyx and Light again." Neferet's eyes were thoughtful, almost frightened. Was she scared that I didn't believe her?

"I don't believe you, you crazy bitch," Aphrodite retorted. "You've killed too many people and done too much evil to just walk back to Nyx."

"Why couldn't I?" Neferet smiled warmly. "Nyx has accepted me into her arms again. It was her graceful returning of my past consort, Johnny, that returned the Goddess and I to each other." Neferet made goo-goo eyes to Theseus, which looked so strange on her that I felt a tingly feeling inside, like watching kittens play in the park. "He's been reincarnated as Theseus. Johnny and I were in love. It was his death that shaped what I used to be—add that to my father's abuse and you have a sick little girl." The way she said it made me want to hug her, wary of her as I was. "I hungered. I craved. I wanted men- human men in particular—to hurt for the pain they'd caused me. But after a while of being hated and feared by almost everyone, I decided I just wanted to be loved." She sighed. "And so I am." She looked lovingly at Theseus. "I just know now that this is where I belong. With him."

"I—" Aphrodite started, but I stopped her, staring into her eyes. Neferet was good. If I could feel it, I knew she could feel it too. She sighed. "Fine. You're goody two shoes again. So what's our whole purpose anymore?"

I glanced coldly at Neferet. Just because she had suddenly turned good, didn't mean I trusted her- or liked her. She had done horrible things, including killing my mom and being responsible for my boyfriend's death. "I don't trust you."

"And I don't blame you," she sighed. "I wouldn't trust me either. But Zoey, you are the very reflection of Nyx—pure, good, wonderful, powerful. So must you be so unforgiving?"

I was silent at that, because I knew she was right. Why should I be so unforgiving? Nyx had forgiven her. Why couldn't I?

"I forgive you," I said softly. "For hurting me so many times and killing so many people I cared about. Because no matter how terrible you once were, you're on the road to redemption now. Only question is: can you forgive yourself?"

Neferet looked away. Did her eyes flicker with anger? Or was that resignation I saw?

"I don't know," she said sadly after a long pause. "I've done so much wrong, acted so Darkly, that I feel grimy, dirty. I don't know what can cleanse my soul—or if it even can after the atrocities I've committed."

"Do you want to be cleansed?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I want to be reunited with the Goddess firmly, and never leave her path."

I gave Neferet something I'd withheld from her for a long time: credit. She had survived against all odds. She'd fought to get to where she wanted, after what she loved most was returned to her. And she was still fighting. And that was what broke my resolve. Honestly, when I really looked at it, Neferet and I weren't all that different. We'd both been hurt, though I hadn't responded the way she had. She was just as close to Nyx as I was— at least she had been, and she wanted to be. She was pure. In that moment, I realized. Neferet had her humanity. Hell, it hadn't gone anywhere. It had just been locked up inside her, waiting to break free.

"We have some stuff to do," I told her.

Her brows raised. Her expression warmed my heart—in it, there was both surprise and happiness. She looked like the mom she'd been when I'd met her, only this time it was real. "What?"

"We've got some humans to kill," Stark said.

"The People of Faith." Neferet said it as more of a statement than a question. "I knew it was time." She sighed. "Very well. Just hold on a second."

"For what?" Aphrodite demanded.

Neferet's jade eyes gleamed. "Just let me get my coat."

_Stevie Rae_

"Stand ready!"

Hell, she had to give them credit. At least they did it.

Everyone moved into the precise standing order they'd been practicing for the last thirty minutes- all the vampyres (meaning stronger people; with the exception of Rephaim) were in the front, while the fledglings with affinities were in the middle, and the normal fledglings rested in the back. Though Erebus had done the Warrior's Call a while ago, not one Warrior had shown up yet, and Stevie Rae was starting to get worried. Where were they?

Darius stood in front of them. His face was the mask of calm, and he stood with his hands at his sides. His body was devoid of tension, surprisingly calm. "They will come soon. I can feel it."

"Me too," Shaylin murmured. "It's like the Darkness is in the air... Chaos magick."

"Get ready," Stevie Rae commanded.

"Oh, I'm more than ready," Shaylin responded.

"Hey... Nisroc... If we don't live through this... I love you," Shaunee admitted.

"I love you too," Nisroc said, kissing her quickly but passionately.

Shaylin moved closer to Erik, and threaded her fingers through his. Though the two didn't kiss or anything, they shared a look that was almost just as intense as any physical contact.

Jordan and Kramisha simply smiled sadly at each other, as if they were ready to face whatever fate had in store for them.

Johnny B and Sophie were holding hands— was there some sort of romance between the two of them that Stevie Rae hadn't seen?

Thanatos and Kalona's shoulders were brushed together; Kalona stared longingly at the sky, while Thanatos looked troubled but determined as she glanced at Darius. A Warrior protecting his High Priestess without even really realizing it.

Erebus's arms were around Nicole's waist, and he looked as if he never wanted to let go. She didn't seem too adverse to the position either.

Lenobia and Travis were kissing passionately, her fingers threaded through his hair, and to Stevie Rae's shock there was an engagement ring on her finger.

Seeing all the displays of affection, Stevie Rae turned to Rephaim. "I love you," she vowed. But she didn't have the strength to say goodbye. It would be like an epilogue before the final chapter of the story.

"And I love you," he said softly, stroking her hair. "I will always love you, my Red One. Even in death."

That sent a cold chill through her. It was sweet that he would never stop loving her, but the way he'd said it suggested he would die. No. She didn't want to die, but she would if it meant saving Rephaim. She would value his life over hers any day.

Before she could respond to him, Kramisha swore. "Shit!"

"What is it?" Thanatos said.

"I forgot all about this poem! That ain't never happened before." Kramisha reached inside her pocket and pulled out a Post-It Note, purple of course. "I wrote it before I fell asleep last night."

"Read it aloud," Kalona commanded.

She cleared her throat, and something changed in her voice— there was a clarity, a power there that Stevie Rae had never before heard:

_Blood shall shed  
Swords shall fall  
Death shall hold  
But the true hero  
Is Darkness  
For Light cannot always win._

"What?" Stevie Rae gasped. "What in the Sam Hill did that mean?"

"How can Darkness be a hero?" Jordan queried. "Ain't Darkness what we finna fight?"

"Yeah, that's the part I'm confused on, too," Shaylin said.

"Prophecies always have double meanings, especially ones from Nyx," Erebus said. "The first three lines are clear. Blood will be shed, swords will fall after the battle, and death will take hold of several souls. Then... 'But the true hero is Darkness, for Light cannot always win.' Hmm..." He looked irritated. "I don't know."

"Maybe we'll figure it out after the battle," Stevie Rae said. "Don't worry about it now. Let's just focus on—"

Before she could even finish her sentence, she felt it. A cold wind blew all around her, Darkness's magick seeping the earth strength she felt right out of her. Stevie Rae was suddenly tired. She wanted to pass out right then and there, but she kept her cool. She knew what was happening.

The army was coming.

If their chaos magick was strong enough to disarm earth...

"Hold your grounds!" Shaylin yelled. "Air, come to me! Fight Darkness!" A burst of warm air emerged, making Stevie Rae's arms tingle.

"Fire, burn it away!" Shaunee shouted, and she felt her strength slowly start to seep back into her.

"Water, wash the air clean of Darkness!" Nicole wailed. It started to rain. Water coalesced down from the clouds, making a steady pattern— and stopping at the borders of the House of Night.

"Earth, strengthen us and keep us calm!" Stevie Rae shouted. The earth responded almost instantly, and a glowing green bubble surrounded them— a shield, protecting the entire group. It was tied to her life force. If Stevie Rae died, the group would not be protected from Darkness's touch.

"I have no affinity for you, but spirit, I ask that you join with death and hold the barrier!" Thanatos screamed. A pale silver circle materialized around the green—

And all went still.

The air was eerily calm. Too calm. The calm before a storm.

"They're coming!" Darius shouted.

Rephaim's arm locked around her waist, and they waited as the last seconds went by. Finally, they emerged from the alcove by the shattered tree. How they'd gotten through the borders was amazing to Stevie Rae, but she didn't care about that—they were here now, and the moment she'd been waiting for for SO LONG was finally upon them. Earth's magick propelled, keeping them protected.

The humans had massed a battalion, she realized. There were about fifty of them- they immensely outnumbered the vampyres. Fear shattered her steely exterior, and her face contorted with worry.

Just at that moment, from behind them, came the sounds of marching, all in unison. Stevie Rae turned her head to see a group of blue vampyres advancing toward them. They were all male, and Stevie Rae recognized some of them. The Warrior's Call had worked, and the Sons of Erebus were upon them. There were about thirty of them—just barely enough to outnumber the humans. And, Stevie Rae realized, they weren't all human. She saw a few red Marks among them, some filled in, some not.  
The Dark red fledglings. And, to her surprise, there was a blue, unexpanded Mark. A young girl. A girl she'd known. A girl who'd been her best friend.

Erin.

Erin was standing next to Dallas, her fingers threaded through his. When she saw Stevie Rae, she grinned, showing her teeth. The grin was more evil than friendly. Anger rocked Stevie Rae, burning through her so furiously that she could barely stand. The anger served to strengthen her earth circle.

"Why is she with him?" Shaunee muttered. "What's happened to her?"

"Erin's chosen Darkness," Kalona murmured.

The crowd of humans continued to advance until they were almost upon the vampyres. The sound of their feet against the ground was rhythmic, a sonorous drum. It was almost like music to Stevie Rae's ears.

Though Stevie Rae had expected an instant attack, the crowd hesitated when they saw that they were outnumbered. One down in front, one who looked a lot like Travis, held up his hand, and all of them came to a stop.

No one moved. No one breathed. No one even blinked.

Finally, Stevie Rae stepped forward. Clearing her throat, she spoke. "Why are you here?"

"To destroy you," the Travis lookalike rasped. Was the man related to Travis in some way? He was old, but he was a dead ringer... Could Travis be his son?

Stevie Rae turned to Travis, who was approaching, his eyes livid with fury. "No, Father. You came here because you're a serious dick. All you want is power, and you're never gonna get it. I bet even without any magick you'd have come."

"I want to see the death of any creature who is not beloved of God," he snapped. "We're wasting time. I need to kill them, Travis. And you, too, if you're siding with them."

Travis looked like he'd been slapped. "You'd kill your son?"

"You're no son of mine. You've chosen your lot."

Lenobia stood protectively between Travis and his dad, her eyes so cold they could freeze him where he stood. She looked every bit like a warrior priestess, the reflection of Sgiach herself. "You will not lay a hand on him."

Travis had almost unconsciously moved so far forward that he was out of the stance and between the two companies, which scared Stevie Rae. What if someone tried to kill him?

"I'll do whatever I like, vampyre," Travis's father snapped. "And when I'm done with him, I'll come for you. I wouldn't be talking."

Fury played across Lenobia's face. "What?" she hissed.

Travis's father raised the stake he was carrying. It glinted wickedly in the light of the grey sky. Stevie Rae was glad the sun wasn't shining today. She knew it would kill her and the other reds. "I think I'll start with him. It's clear you love him, right? You'd do anything for him?"

"I won't let you take my Travis away from me again," Lenobia growled. She looked seriously scary.

"I think I will." With a speed Stevie Rae hadn't thought possible of humans, he raced forward, grinning so evilly that he looked slightly reminiscent of Neferet. It was clear what he aimed to do—kill Travis.

"No!" Lenobia shouted. She did the worst thing possible then.

_She threw herself in front of Travis, _blocking the blow of the stake.

However, in doing so, she left herself completely exposed—exposed enough for Travis's father to bring the stake up in a wide, deadly arc and drive it straight through her heart.

"Lenobia!" Travis screamed.

Stevie Rae's mouth fell open in shock as Lenobia fell to her knees. With amazing strength, Travis's father leaned forward. Still grinning, he twisted her neck and snapped it. She fell limp to the ground, her body drawing its last breath.

Lenobia was dead.

Surprising herself, Stevie Rae did not feel grief. The first thing she felt was a hot, burning anger. "Go!" she shouted. The need for revenge fueled her as she moved with a speed she hadn't thought possible. Everyone else was furious, too, because they moved at the same time she did.

They moved to kill.

The army of humans moved, too, bloodthirsty and ready for death.

The two armies closed in on each other, and in an air of anger and blood, the battle finally began under the midday sky.

...  
**  
Are you guys liking the battle so far?**

I know that death was horrifying. I'm so sorry to tell you there's more to come. A LOT more.

See you next chapter! Sorry again... :(

XOXO,  
Casey


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_Zoey_

"Wait!" Neferet shouted, and we all jumped. We'd been walking to the car in serious badass mode, on our way to go kick some human butt, when she'd made the exclamation.

"What is it?" Aurox demanded.

"Your grandmother," Neferet said, turning her eyes to me. "She's in there."

A sliver of the old hatred resurfaced. "Why did you have my grandma?" I hissed.

"It was necessary to the war effort," she insisted. "If I took Sylvia Redbird, the white bull would think I was truly on his side—and then, I could overthrow him from within. Is that not what is truly of importance here?"

I sighed, knowing she was right. "Can you go get her?" It felt so weird to be having a casual conversation with her. Almost like we were friends.

"Sure. I'll be right back," she said, and before anyone could protest, she disappeared.

"I don't trust her." The words struck a cold blow to my heart as Aphrodite said them, because even though I completely agreed with her, I knew we were both wrong for feeling that way.

"Me either," Stark said. "I know she really has chosen Light. But some evils can't be recovered from."

"I do." Aurox's voice was soft. "Her intentions are pure. She means to compensate for the pain she's caused Zoey." His eyes found mine. "You trust me, right?"

"With my life," I said immediately.

"Right. Wasn't I on the side of Darkness once? Didn't I do terrible things? I killed Dragon, Zoey." Aurox sounded as if he was near tears, and I realized I hadn't talked to him about how he felt about that. Obviously, he still felt bad. "I still have nightmares about that moment. The moment I had absolutely no control over myself. How do you think Neferet feels? Half your circle has been Dark before, or has felt some type of pull towards it. Just because Neferet's supposed to be your enemy, doesn't make her any different."

I knew he was right, but before I could respond, I turned and saw Neferet walking towards us, Grandma Redbird's arm around her shoulder. The sight of my grandmother filled me with joy, almost reminiscent of how I felt when I called spirit. "Grandma!" I exclaimed.

"Zoeybird." Her voice was raspy, but somehow still strong. Her skin looked deathly pale, yet I could almost see the color returning. Her eyes were full of fear, a fear I hated. What the hell had Neferet done to her? "I've missed you. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the bake sale." Her eyes found Stark's. "I missed you too, _tsi-ta-ga-a-s-ha-ya_," she promised.

His eyes gleamed. "And I missed you."

"We did good at the bake sale," I promised.

"I know you did. I'm proud of you," Grandma said. "We Redbirds have never failed when we set our minds to something."

"Thank you," I said softly.

"We should get going," Aphrodite said, looking like she hated to interrupt. "We've got a battle to fight."

"Yeah," Stark said quietly.

We left quickly, unwilling to remain any longer. But if I'd known what awaited me at the House of Night, I might have stayed behind.

_Shaylin_

The two armies clashed into each other hungrily, both lusting for battle. All Shaylin could hear were cries for blood- and to be honest, she was hungry for it, too. Lenobia had been one of her favorite professors, and now she was dead.

And Shaylin wanted revenge.

Across the field, she noticed Erin, who looked like the total bitch she was, staring at Erik with a cold smile on her face. Shaylin tightened her grip on her man. "What the hell's she looking at?"

Erik gasped, falling to his knees. "Cold... So... Cold..." Shaylin screamed as water bubbles foamed from his mouth, choking him. He couldn't breathe.

He was dying. And Shaylin knew beyond all doubt that Erin was behind it. Hell, she knew Nicole wouldn't do anything like this.

"Erin, stop!" Shaylin wailed over the cries of battle, but it was too late. Erik stopped shuddering, and he stared blankly up at her.

"Erik? Erik!" she cried, shaking him. But it was no use.

Erik was dead.

Blood pounded in her ears. There was no way this bitch had killed her man and was going to get away with it. She vowed to Nyx that if, at least she didn't kill Erin, someone did.

Shaylin's body was frozen with shock and grief. She couldn't believe Erik was dead. She'd just poured out her heart to him, and they'd finally started to accept that they were a couple. And now he was dead. She would never get a chance at happiness.

If she even lived.

_No,_ she thought furiously. _I will not sit here and cry. I will avenge his death; it's what he would have wanted me to do._

So Shaylin closed Erik's eyes, prayed to Nyx that his journey to the Otherworld would be safe, and turned away from him. Numbly she rose to her feet, closing her own eyes. "Air, come to me," she breathed. She felt the breeze flowing around her. "Blow Erin the hell away!"

Air picked Erin up so maliciously that she didn't even have time to scream before she was across the field, on the ground. Shaylin cracked her knuckles, preparing to fight.

It was going to feel good kicking Erin's ass.

_Erebus_

The relish of the battle had not yet left Erebus. He'd anticipated it for so long that it was almost fun, killing humans left and right. He sent a roundhouse kick at an unsuspecting human now, causing her to fall; in her confusion, he staked her straight through the heart. Apparently, even without mortality, he wasn't missing the ability to fight.

Kalona was at his side; their unspoken agreement was to protect each other no matter what the cost. Behind him was Nicole, who was fighting just as fiercely as he was and using her water affinity to kill, and at her side was Thanatos, who was using death's magic and her natural fighting skills in a deathly combination.

The human man Nicole had been sparring with suddenly flew at her, tackling her to the ground. Erebus disarmed the human he was fighting, snapping his neck, and whirled around to find Nicole fighting as hard as she could. Biting, kicking, scratching. He almost smiled. That was his girl.

But then, the unthinkable happened.

The man's hand flew to Nicole's throat, pushing her to the ground. She punched him in the face, but he still didn't lose his grip. He threw her to the ground with such force that she gasped. In a move that was almost as fast as lightning, he drove the stake he'd been holding through her heart with perfect precision.

Erebus was frozen.

No. _No. _Not Nicole. Not his dear, beautiful Nicole. She couldn't die on him. Not now. They'd had a future together, a life they were going to live out. Her part in it couldn't be cut short.

For the first time in all his existence, Erebus felt the threat of tears in his eyes.

"Nicole!" he screamed, falling to his knees and cradling her in his arms. The sounds of war seemed to block from his ears, and all he could hear was this. "Nicole, please. You can't die on me."

"I... I... I lo... Lo..." Nicole coughed, spitting up blood so vehemently that Erebus had to fight back tears. Her body shuddered as she tried to breathe one more time, and then it went still.

Erebus couldn't breathe as he felt the cold knife enter his back. It was the most cowardly way to kill an opponent, but it worked. His entire body seized as he fell to where Nicole lay. Even in death, she was utterly beautiful, the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Erebus drew his last breath, ignoring the sounds of his brother calling his name, as he departed this world and moved to the next, rejoining his lost love and leaving the mortal world behind.

_Shaunee_

Shaunee's blood boiled, her eyes filling with tears as she stared down at Nisroc's dead body. This couldn't be happening. Nisroc couldn't be dead. He was her soul mate, her significant other. How could he leave her that way?

And it only made it so much worse that his death was by Erin's hand. She'd used her icy water affinity to kill him, when she'd been Shaunee's best friend once. Shaunee's Twin. Now, Shaunee wanted nothing more than to rip Erin's heart out and slit her throat.

Shaunee turned from Nisroc and rose to her feet, spotting Erin across the field. Propelling herself as fast as she could go, she shot across the field to Erin, anger roaring in her ears. Silently she called fire, asking it to shield her from Erin's powers. When Erin saw that her powers weren't working, she freaked, turning and walking away from Shaunee. Soon the walk built into a run.

Across the field, she noticed Shaylin running too, her eyes daggers of hatred. Shaunee managed a smile as she ran.

Erin spun around, turning to see Shaunee. Disbelief showed in her eyes, as if she was confused that her ex-Twin would kill her. _Well, you killed my boyfriend, bitch,_ Shaunee thought savagely.

Erin glared at her, obviously trying to use her strange water powers on her, but Shaunee's shield was protecting her from any damage. Erin's eyes widened in shock—almost fear. She was scared. Her powers weren't working. To Shaunee's shock and utter joy, Erin turned and ran away from her.

Shaylin snatched her up by her hair, dragging her to the ground so viciously that Shaunee heard the thwap! sound. Shaunee reached her, taking her hair and yanking her back.

"This is what you get, bitch," she snapped.

Fire warmed Erin, and she screamed. But Shaunee had no pity for her. The girl had no real emotions that didn't involve herself. She'd killed Nisroc and Erik, and she would probably kill again. Shaunee nodded softly to Shaylin, and Shaylin stared at Erin—cutting off her air supply and killing her.

Shaylin and Shaunee locked eyes, and Shaunee saw how broken the girl was. She knew that Shaylin would never be the same again. She'd lost everything she cared about, and now all she was was a hollow shell of her former self. Shaunee reached out a comforting hand, telling her with her body language what she couldn't tell her with her eyes.

Shaylin opened her mouth to say something, the threat of tears in her eyes, but what she was going to say would never be known.

Dallas approached her, his hands sparkling with electricity.

"No!" Shaunee screamed, throwing herself between Shaylin and Dallas. The electric shock pierced her heart, causing her to fall to the ground in a horrifying dance. The pain was worse than _anything she'd ever felt._ She closed her eyes against it and prayed to Nyx: _if you are really merciful, please stop this pain.  
_  
And then, finally the pain did stop. Her body kept twitching though. She could barely see. Lines of red were swimming across her vision, and she was shaking. She gritted her teeth.

"Shaunee..." Shaylin's voice. The girl was above her, her hands over Shaunee's chest. Air, Shaunee realized, was protecting her from the electricity. Shaylin had evoked her element to soothe Shaunee into the Otherworld.

"Th...thank you..." Shaunee managed to get out. Then the shivers overtook her. The air washed away the last of the pain and, with one final twitch, Shaunee died in Shaylin's arms.

_Kalona_

Kalona was fighting the grief he felt. He had just watched so many of his comrades die—including his brother. No matter how much he detested Erebus, he didn't want him to die.

He turned slowly toward Thanatos, who had remained alive during the fighting. Though he wasn't dating her anymore, he had her best interest at heart, and would always fight to protect her- as he was about to do. As soon as the cry for her Warrior escaped her lips, he turned his eyes to the humans converging on her. They both had stakes in their hands, their eyes wild and manic.

Kalona moved so fast their eyes couldn't detect him. He snapped the stake out of the first man's hand, worrying only about him. He was certain Thanatos could handle the other man. He kneed the man in his groin, taking pleasure in his widened eyes. In the man's moment of weakness, he shoved the stake through his heart. The man gasped, falling to the ground. He would die soon.

He turned confidently to Thanatos and saw something that would be branded into his brain for as long as he lived.

A stake through her heart.

The man lay dead at her feet, a wound on his head bleeding at an incredible rate. Thanatos must have used the roundhouse kick she'd shown Zoey. Then how had he staked her? Had she continued to fight even with the stake in her? That was, as Zoey would say, badass, even for Thanatos.

But, badass as it was, now she was dying.

Her body shivered, unable to pass blood to her brain. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath, and Kalona caught her before she could fall completely. Her broken eyes stared up into his. "Kalona," she rasped.

He blinked tears from his eyes. "Yes?"

"Tell Zoey... That I... I hope she makes... A great High Priestess." Thanatos coughed, and the liquid that emerged was red with blood. "And... I was... I was in... In love with you."

"I—"

But there wasn't time to say anything else. She was dead. Gingerly he leaned forward and closed her eyes softly, blinking away the tears. Kalona would not cry.

Before he had time to move, a cry pierced the midday sky. He froze. The cry was one he recognized, as he'd heard it just the other day. Anger roared in his ears. He was not going to let it happen.

"Father!"

"I am here, son!" Kalona lurched toward Rephaim as fast as he could, unwilling to let him die at the hands of puny mortals.

_Rephaim_

Rephaim was going to die.

He knew it. He could feel it. And he didn't necessarily mind, as Stevie Rae was by his side- if he died, she would too.

They'd been fighting amiably, saving each other even though there had been a few close calls. Stevie Rae had created an earthquake that had derailed a few of their opponents, and he had just used brute force, as he had no affinity. His anger had motivated him, too—so many of his brethren were dead. Nisroc. Shaunee. Thanatos. Erebus. Nicole. And it looked like he was next.

They'd chased Dallas down after watching him kill Shaunee. Rephaim's fingers itched- he'd been wanting to kill Dallas for a long time. Stevie Rae and Rephaim looked at each other, working as one as they always had. They threaded their fingers together, and Rephaim sent her flying at Dallas.

The plan had worked correctly. Stevie Rae tackled Dallas, sending him to the ground. Rephaim ran up, his heart clanging wildly against his chest. He grabbed Dallas, anger giving him strength, and choked the boy.

But Dallas was not hindered by Rephaim's strong fingers. He'd spun around, touching Rephaim's arm, and Rephaim had felt that stinging electricity that he only knew could be Dallas's affinity. He gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Warriors! To me!" Dallas called amidst the sounds of fighting.

"Shut the hell up," Stevie Rae growled.

She tackled him, closing her eyes. A brilliant green light appeared at her fingertips, and Dallas's eyes widened. Rephaim took the opportunity to pry his fingers from Rephaim's chest. He moved forward, feeling Dallas's pockets until he found the stake. So arrogant, Rephaim thought. He thinks he doesn't need this.

Rephaim nodded to Stevie Rae, who moved her hands to his throat. Dallas's eyes widened in shock—was he about to die?

"So arrogant," Rephaim hissed.

And he used all his strength to snap Dallas's neck. The boy fell limp to the ground.

Stevie Rae and Rephaim looked at each other and smiled. Finally, Dallas was dead.

But before they could celebrate, a crowd of humans surrounded them, their eyes full of lust. They were hungry for it- they wanted Stevie Rae and Rephaim dead.

"Father!" he called desperately, hoping Kalona would hear.

"Your daddy ain't gonna help you," one man snickered.

Rephaim stood protectively in front of Stevie Rae, as her cold hand locked around his. "You will not harm her," he snapped.

But who was to say they wouldn't? There were so many of them. At least ten. Rephaim was, at last, outnumbered.

They started to move closer to him, fingers twitching. That was when Rephaim decided he was going to die. There was nothing else he could do. He'd fought as valiantly as he could, and he knew with everything in his soul that this was a fight he would not win.

But he was not going to just give up. He could try to fight. He WOULD try to fight- fight for everything in his soul.

So Rephaim squeezed Stevie Rae's hand—that was their signal—and ran forward, tackling the man at the head of the circle. He'd caught them by surprise, he saw, as he snatched the man's stake out of his hand and staked him. Before anyone could react, he'd turned and staked the other man. Stevie Rae had gone to work herself, two guys dead at her feet. Many as they were, they were human—and weaker than her.

But it was too late. The remaining six surrounded Rephaim, jeering and crying out. They threw him to the ground.

"No!" Stevie Rae screamed. She threw herself between the man with the sharpened stake and Rephaim, falling to the ground beside him.

Rephaim was going to die.

Stevie Rae would die with him.

They held hands, and closed their eyes, praying that their deaths would be swift, and that Nyx would be merciful. As the humans closed in on them, Rephaim waited for death to come, his true love at his side.

At least they would die together.

**How do you like the battle so far? I know—a lot of death. I can explain. Everything will be okay soon.**

See ya :)

XOXO,  
Casey


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

_Stevie Rae_

"Stop!"

The voice was heavy, powerful, and beautiful all in once. The words were spoken roughly, like the melting of chocolate against blood—immortal blood. Stevie Rae coughed, blood spraying from her lips and into the jerk's–who was holding her –eyes, which distracted him enough for her to call up earth.

She remembered Tae Kwon Do lessons back when she was a fledgling, and took a deep breath, centering herself. With the power of the earth strengthening her she sent a roundhouse kick at his face. The guy flew back into the other guys. Stevie Rae flew up and flipped, landing on her knees almost gracefully. She had mean grass stains, but she was alright—and alive.

"Rephaim." The whisper was not her own. Drawn from the other side of the group of humans, it carried to her. She turned to see Kalona standing behind her, his Mark almost glowing, his arms raised. There would have been nothing wrong with that, if not for the pale, sweaty rings around his eyes, and the ring of blood around his stomach, and the knife protruding from it.

"Kalona!" Stevie Rae screamed, forgetting all about the stupid humans and running to him. A few humans charged her, but a shield of green protected her and they bounced back. Stevie Rae reached him. "Kalona," she sobbed. "Please. You can't die. You can't."

"Save him." Kalona's voice was still strong, but there was something in the way he spoke that told her his life was bleeding out of him. "I would rather die than lose my Rephaim."

Guilt washed over her, for forgetting about him. When she saw the man - Travis's horrid father - her chest heaved again in anger. Raising her hand almost subconsciously, she sent a pulsating green light at him. The light encased his body, rooting him to the spot he stood.

She felt his breath on her body before she turned. A human was standing behind her, his arms raised. A knife was in his hand. He had been about to kill her.

_Show no mercy,_ Erebus had said.

She tackled the man, and used brute strength to press her hands into his throat. Earth swelled around her, dangerous and deadly and ready to kill. The earth was so powerful that it shattered the hold the chaos magick had on him, and her eyes widened along with his. His body relaxed under her. The burst of adrenaline that had propelled her forward sank like a deflating balloon, and she really looked at him. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five. Young. Manipulated by his parents.

"I can't," she whispered. The light of the earth dimmed, still strong but merciful now, Nyx's silver trickling in. Yes, Nyx's silver. She was Nyx's daughter, and she knew the Goddess couldn't be okay with her slaughtering humans—and worse still, finding enjoyment in it. Guilt attacked her. But she swallowed it down. Rephaim needed her.

When she turned away from the guy, she saw Rephaim standing now, seemingly unharmed. His eyes found Kalona's body, and they widened. Stevie Rae's eyes followed his. Kalona was breathing—barely. He was alive, but dying.

Fast.

Stevie Rae raced to where Kalona was, and Rephaim focused on her. His eyes were wild, like he was about to rip the limbs off trees or the wings off flies. He looked, she realized, like the Rephaim she'd known before he'd been HER Rephaim. Strange, but utterly _evil_. No humanity at all within him. Stevie Rae even thought she saw inky threads of Darkness, swirling around him like smoke.

She took a deep breath, putting her hand on Rephaim's shoulder. She felt like she should say something, but she knew no words could reach him. All he needed was her. This was a test, she realized, a test to see how much he truly loved her. How much love conquered you. If he really loved her, would her love cause him to see sense?

She let a tear trickle from her eyes, and moved her hand over his. Finally, he looked at her- really looked at her. At the sight of her, his body seemed to relax. The smoky Darkness around him dissipated, and he looked like her Rephaim again—only really, really sad.

His sadness reminded her of the atrocity at hand, and she turned to Kalona again. His eyes were closed, but the slow rising and falling of his chest indicated that he was alive. Only Stevie Rae didn't know how long he had to _be_ alive. His breaths were numbered—and she bet she could count the number on her hand.

"Rephaim." His voice was rough now, barely a whisper. "Come to me."

"Yes, Father?" Rephaim's voice sounded gruff, like he had something in his throat. Rephaim moved forward and, with his free hand, pressed his hand over Kalona's heart. There was something utterly moving about the gesture, something that brought tears to her eyes. Something that made her want to wipe the tears from his.

"Do not... Lose her." Kalona's eyes opened slightly, enough that she could see that they were trained on her. "She really... Loves you... My son. I was wrong when I... said that she can... never love you... As a woman loves a man. Maybe it is because... you are no man. But that isn't..._ Bad_."

The battle was still raging around them, but all she could hear was Kalona's voice. "Please," she whispered. "Don't die."

He almost smiled. "Why, Stevie Rae... I do not... Have much a choice."

He'd called her Stevie Rae. He almost always called her 'Red One'.

"Rephaim... Do you realize... What you are? Do not... Let it die out. Be... My son. I love you." The last part of the sentence was the only part Kalona's voice was clear, and she knew it was because he meant it, with everything in his soul. Her body shook, and she realized she was crying, hard.

"I love you, too, Dad." Dad. Not Father. Dad.

Kalona's hand moved feebly to cover Rephaim's. At the same moment, the sun shined overhead, and Stevie Rae was reminded of something. It was daytime, and Rephaim wasn't a bird. Did that mean something? Was it Nyx's way of saying he was forgiven? What COULD it mean?

Her eyes were frozen on Kalona's face, so she saw him die. It wasn't like the movies, quiet, one last breath. Kalona's chest did rise and fall one last time, but she heard his breath choke in his throat, his eyes rolling back in his head. And then he did not move again.

Numbly, she reached over and shut his eyelids. She turned to Rephaim. His eyes were frozen, unblinking, uncomprehending. He was in shock. And to be honest, so was she. Kalona had always, even when he'd become a vampyre, been immortal to her. She'd never thought he would die—or even _could _die.

Her free hand covered her mouth, stifling her broken sobs, as she rose to her feet. Her fingers never untwined from Rephaim's. He was the only thing keeping her from completely breaking down. And even with his hand in hers, she couldn't completely block her grief out.

They didn't move his body. Where would they put it? He wasn't a human, so they couldn't bury him, and there was no time yet to light a pyre. _We'll come back for him_, she vowed to herself. _We will. I swear it on the Goddess_.

Across the field, she saw a group of four approaching. If she didn't know them, she would think they were allies. Only there was something terribly wrong with the picture. There was Zoey, her eyes fierce with anger, purple light surrounded her. There was Aurox at one side, and Stark at her other, both flanking her protectively. There was Aphrodite, looking just as strong and confident as Zoey. There was even Sylvia Redbird, to Stevie Rae's surprise.

But she could be surprised further. The first was Theseus, who looked tough and totally beautiful. But that wasn't it. Because next to Grandma Redbird, walking as fiercely as the others, her green eyes shining with passion—and _kindness_—her auburn hair blowing in the wind, was Neferet.

_Zoey_

"Don't think of them as ordinary humans!" Neferet instructed as we charged toward the battle. How she could talk normally while running, I didn't know. "They are under the white bull's spell and not themselves. They will do anything to kill you."

I kept that in mind as we ran, finally closing in on the battle. My eyes widened in shock as I caught sight of all the bodies.

Shaylin.

Shaunee.

Erin.

Lenobia.

Dallas.

Erebus.

Nicole.

_Thanatos._

So many of my friends, my circle.

Dead.

I looked toward Aphrodite, who looked like she was about to cry too. It was with supreme effort that I didn't fall to my knees and break down crying. I had to bite my lip to hold back my grief when my eyes locked on Kalona's dead body across the field. A flood of warmth flashed over me as I saw Stevie Rae and Rephaim, still alive. Most of those still fighting were red fledglings and vampyres. Travis was fighting, too, his eyes stormy. That he had survived where his vampyre girlfriend had perished was almost ironic. I saw Kramisha, too, Jordan by her side. I breathed a sigh of relief. Not _everyone _was dead.

I'd spoken too soon.

"Look!" Aphrodite shouted suddenly, her finger jerking toward the sky. I followed where she was pointing to two clouds fighting. No. I blinked and tried to see again. The image shifted and clarified, and I was staring at the most terrifying thing I think I've ever seen in my seventeen-and-a-half years.

The white and black bulls were fighting.

I'd seen the white bull, grotesque but powerful, once, when Neferet had killed my mother and we'd seen it in the reveal ritual (the thought sent a bitter slither through me). I'd heard about the black bull, beautiful and majestic, so kind it hurt to look at him. But no image in my mind could replace what I was staring at now. The two bulls were devouring each other. Saliva and blood were flying everywhere. I realized with shock that they both actually looked wounded. And the strangest thing—below them, the humans and vampyres almost seemed to mimic the fight.

My stomach turned, exploding suddenly with pain. I gasped and clutched it. The purple light around me turned grey, burning and bubbling with Darkness. Spirit was dying. Light was dying. Nyx was dying.

_Darkness was winning._

"Zoey! Are you okay?" Stark cried, running to catch me before I fell. I moaned, staring down at my stomach. There was blood there. The wound there was even deeper and longer than the one across my shoulder.

I felt like I was flying, like my soul was out of my body. Grey light twinkled around me. Stark's lips were nearly against my ear, but he sounded a mile away. The pain had faded, but now I felt weak. My body was shaking, and with every shudder, I felt closer to dying.

_You have failed, Zoey Redbird.  
_  
A beautiful woman materialized in front of me. I wouldn't call her fat, but she was large. However, her beauty made up for it. Her long black hair was tossed over her shoulder. Her eyes were the same color, so deep black that I thought I was staring into the night itself. Her body was statuesque, though large, almost exactly like the statue at the temple.

"Nyx," I whispered.

_It is I, Zoeybird. _Her eyes were sad. _You did not do, ultimately, what you were sent here to do. You failed, and now you must die. And so must your friends. I apologize most sincerely.  
_  
"What?" I cried. But it was too late. I felt one last shiver, and my soul emerged from my body like it had been pulled. With that, the pain faded. I was now floating above my body. Still there. Still there, so I could see the last terrible, horrible events before I passed on to the Otherworld.

First, a human woman—I realized it was her mother—stabbed Aphrodite, and she fell to the ground. The knife went straight to her heart, and it only took seconds for her to die. Stark let go of me and screamed. Darkness pulsated around him, and his body seemed to melt into it. I wanted to scream, but couldn't. Terrified and shocked into grief, I watched as Kramisha's neck was snapped. Jordan was staked through the heart. Aurox impaled himself, unable to live with my death. Johnny B and Sophie were jumped and killed.

The most terrifying thing—the white bull's horns pierced the black bull—straight where his heart was. The black bull exploded into white light, and I knew beyond all doubt that he was dead_. Dead._ Not beaten. _Dead._

The last thing I saw before Darkness consumed me was the remaining crowd of humans surround Stevie Rae and Rephaim, stakes shoved through both their beating hearts. I screamed, but I could not stop the Darkness from pulling me, pulling me into death's arms, as tears trickled down my face, and I died.

_Neferet_

The only thing Neferet could hear was the pounding of her heart, like a sonorous drum. When the white bull had died, the sun had faded into the clouds, the battle had stopped, and now it was silent. Way too silent. She had just watched Zoey die, as well as Stevie Rae, and she had to admit that tears were running down her eyes. Zoey was like a daughter to her. How could she have let her die? And why then, did it factor that she was still alive? She deserved to die. She had committed more sins than they had. How could she be alive?

Maybe this was her payment. Having to live while everyone else she loved was dead. Neferet bit her lip as she spun around. The clearing was filled with smoke, and she knew there was not a living soul there anymore. The world was gone. Neferet had long known what would happen if Light died. She'd been about to bring on the Apocalypse herself. And seeing it now, for herself, on the side of Light, made it more real.

Neferet had a sudden thought. Maybe she _wasn't _alone. She whirled around, hope filling her. "Theseus!" she called.

Her eyes scanned the pile of dead bodies, and she choked when her eyes found Zoey's. But it was not until her eyes caught the body next to his that they teared up. No. It couldn't be.

Theseus.

_"No!" _Neferet wailed. She fell to her knees. She felt the inside of her body rip, like glass had shattered. Neferet's head fell to her hands, and as she wept, she finally knew the true meaning of a broken heart.

**... Not much I can say. Bear with me, guys... :( This IS NOT the end. Don't worry. There is more BATTLED coming. At least five chapters actually. The story isn't over yet. That's all I can tell you. But these people really ARE dead. And Darkness really DID win. **

**I'm finished with If It Were You chapter 4, but I have to edit it. So when I do that I'll get back to you on it. Also, go check out my story Silence on Miss Literati. My username is GuardianQueen. Look me up.**

**Love you.**

**XOXO,**  
**Casey**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_Zoey _

I drifted. The songs of the Cherokee descendants around me rang, their sweet music heaven to my ears. I relaxed into them, suddenly content. Sure I had died, but at least an Otherworld still existed. At least Nyx—at least _Light_—still had jurisdiction over _something_. I breathed a sigh of relief. As I blinked, my vision clearing, substance finally came into view. I was standing in Nyx's grove—the same place I'd been in when I was shattered. I almost smiled at the memory. Then, the Otherworld had been peaceful. Now, you could just look at Nyx's grove and tell something was wrong. The balance of the universe had been upset.

_"Zoeybird." _

I turned—and gasped. Nyx stood behind me, but it wasn't really her I was surprised to see. She was, indeed, a sight—beautiful as the night itself—but it was the legion of vampyres, humans, and fledglings standing behind her that got me. Stevie Rae, Rephaim, Aphrodite, Shaunee, Nisroc, Shaylin, Erik, Kramisha, Erebus, Jordan, Nicole, Lenobia, Travis, Aurox, Stark, Neferet, Kalona, my grandma, Theseus, Johnny B, Sophie, Ant. Even Erin and Dallas stood there, grinning, and to my surprise they looked utterly normal—no Darkness shadowed them now.

As I scanned the crowd, I realized someone was missing. "Where's Thanatos?" I asked Nyx.

Her dark eyes were sad. "In death, she has passed on to the next realm; her affinity gave her safe passage. She is truly at peace."

I swallowed hard. Thanatos was gone, and I would never see her again. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that.

"Wait. What are you two doing here?" I said, jerking my chin towards Erin and Dallas. "Aren't you guys Dark?"

Erin's smile, which had been warm and totally her, faded. She looked at Dallas. His hand was threaded through hers. Their relationship actually looked something like Stevie Rae and Rephaim's—cute and brand new, like they still had room to experience. After a long silence, Erin spoke. "I did terrible things during that battle, Zoey. I killed Erik and Nisroc. I would have killed Shaylin. I decided, when I died, that I wanted redemption. No removal of my emotions could erase the grief I feel. I'm so sorry, Zoey." The girl looked like she was about to cry. It was then that I felt sorry for her, and I knew she'd meant every word.

"Okay," I whispered softly. My eyes shifted to Dallas. He'd been evil longer than she. "And you?"

"I go where she goes." His voice held a note of finality. "I love her. And she loves me. I had no purpose of being Dark. It was for Stevie Rae, and since I don't love her anymore, why stay?"

"Yeah, why stay?" echoed Nicole, who was standing next to Erebus on the other side of the group. Her eyes, I realized, were moist with tears. "It's why I chose Light. There was nothing holding me to Darkness. Funny thing, how tethered you are because of one change in your life."

Stevie Rae, Stark, Kalona, and Rephaim nodded, like they knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Wait," I realized. "Since we're in the Otherworld... And we're all dead... Does that mean Darkness really won? That I failed? That we have no other chance of surviving?"

Nyx's eyes were sad, but something about her gaze made me feel hopeful—like maybe I was wrong. "That is not what we are focusing on now, Zoey," she said sternly. "Be reunited with your family. Be glad they are all with you."

"My family..." I turned towards the crowd and saw that there were some new additions. I gasped at seeing them. First, Loren Blake stepped forward, handsome even in death, his eyes full of sorrow. Then I saw Professor Nolan, smiling at me. Next to her was Elizabeth No Last Name. Then there was Heath. _Heath!_ My heart leapt at seeing him. Only I realized Aurox was standing right behind him. How could they both exist if they were the same person now? My eyes continued down the line, and I gasped when I saw Jack, grinning slyly back at me. Standing next to him was Damien, his arm wrapped around Jack's waist. His eyes were kind and smiling too. After them came my mom, who wasn't smiling—but her eyes were shining with pride. Pride for me? After my mom came Dragon and Anastasia, who were all but kissing, and then the line of new people ended. I realized we were missing Venus and Becca. They must have passed on.

"Mom," I whispered, momentarily forgetting about everyone else. I'd forgotten how much I missed her, deep down in my heart and soul. I looked over at Neferet, who was staring guiltily at her shoes. She had caused my mom's death. But I couldn't blame her. I had to forgive and forget. Which was way, way harder than it sounded.

I threw my arms around her, and she hugged me back, a hand stroking my hair. "Zoey," she whispered, laughing softly to herself. "I missed you so much. I could never move on. I was waiting for this moment."

"I missed you too, Mom," I said, blinking fast to keep the tears from trickling down my face. "So much."

"As I missed you, sweetie." Grandma's voice joined us. I looked over Mom's shoulder at her. She looked like herself again—healthy, completely healed, and whole. I knew she was at peace. She wrapped her arms around both of us, and we laughed.

I stayed there with them like that for a long moment, content with my happiness. The drama with me and my mom was forgotten, and she was Mama again, the Mama I had always loved.

"Zoey." The voice behind me made my heartbeat speed up. I spun around, disentangling myself from my mom and Grandma, to see Heath standing behind me. At the sight of him, my cheeks flamed. For some reason, I was feeling everything freely now—every emotion. And love was an emotion. I ran forward and threw my arms around Heath. This time, it was really him—I could even smell the scent of his blood. Blood, which I hadn't had much of since he had died, even though I had formed an Imprint with Kalona at one point. I realized I needed it—needed _Heath_ like I needed air to breathe.

Heath seemed to sense the change in my position, and pushed me back so he could see my face. "Zoey," he whispered. "Drink from me if you're thirsty."

"Okay," I agreed, surprised at myself for being okay with it.

Heath removed his knife from his pocket and slashed through his hand, and the scent of that blood, scarlet and sweet, ran through the air like the most divine flower's scent. Oh my Goddess. I couldn't stand just looking at it. With lightning speed, I clamped my teeth around the wound, and I drank.

Time seemed to stop as the fiery passion exploded through me. _Oh my Goddess. _I hadn't felt it for so long that it was almost unfamiliar. My eyes rolled back in my head, though I didn't break my stance. Heath moaned, and his body came down hard and fast on mine. It was all I could do not to rip his clothes off in front of everyone.

Somehow, from somewhere inside me, I gained the strength to pull away from Heath. I'd forgotten how powerful drinking human blood—_fresh_ blood—was. It was like a burst of lightning and heat, a kiss of the sun's loving rays. And in that moment, I felt like myself again—and I knew that I had not felt like this at all since the second I watched Heath die. I would never, could never be whole without him. And I wouldn't be leaving him. I smiled widely at the fact. I loved Stark, but this was something different—something magical. I loved Aurox, but he was only a fraction of what Heath was. He couldn't give me this.

"Heath," I whispered.

"Zoey." I looked over Heath's shoulder to see Damien and Jack standing behind him. They were both smiling. "Hey."

"Hey," I said softly. Reluctantly, I broke from Heath and gave them both hugs. "I'm so glad to see you guys. Are you happy together?"

Jack nodded. "He's all I ever think about. Or see."

Damien giggled, kissing Jack's cheek. "You don't ever have to look away."

I wanted to look away, but I didn't; however, there was intimacy in it that made me blush. I wondered if that was how in love I was with Heath—in love enough to die for him.

_The old Zoey was,_ I thought. _Whether she realized it or not._

"There is love here, and the sweetness of reunion, which is why I had you all brought here today." Nyx's voice rang out, silencing us all; there was no questioning the supremacy of her tone. "However, all things do not last forever. They must end. As must this." Her eyes turned to me, and they were shimmering with hope. "Zoeybird, your destiny has not yet ended."

"Huh?" I stared at her, confused. "I thought you said I had failed. That Darkness had won."

"It did," she admitted. "You did. However, this is not the end of you journey. The fates have given you another chance—another chance to save everything."

"But.. I'm dead. How can I save everything from heaven?" I queried.

Nyx stared at me for a long time, biting her lip and debating whether she could continue or not. In that moment, I realized she looked a lot like my mom—the same eyelashes, the same high cheekbones, the same facial structure, the same build. "Zoey, there's something I have been meaning to tell you." She also sounded like my mom when she said that, so much so that I had to look at Linda to make sure she was still standing there.

"What is it?"

She smiled at me. "I call you my daughter, don't I? The Daughter of Night. What you didn't understand was how literal that was."

My mouth fell open. _No. She couldn't be serious._

"You always wondered why your father never came around," Nyx mused. "It's because he couldn't. He's dead. He was shot about a month after he left. Paul Montgomery is your biological father, just as Linda Redbird is your biological mother. But at your birth, I experimented with you. I entered Linda's body before she was pregnant, to strengthen her. It was my egg that passed through her, filled with magick—which is why you got your ancestors' magick and not her. And lastly, I gave you magick to use for yourself. You are the first ever vampyre-goddess hybrid. You are a demigod, in every sense of the world. And the laws of the universe did not anticipate you coming into Creation."

"So... I'm not... Normal?" I whispered. Funny that I'd always known that, so why should it surprise me now?

"No." Nyx smiled. "And since you are not normal, you can do things that normal beings would not be able to." She gestured to the sky. "You can come and go as you please. It's how you survived being shattered for so long. Though Sgiach's magick helped, you pushed through yourself."

"So... What happened? Back on Earth, I mean. Darkness really won, so is there even a world to go back to? We already lost. We already _died_." I was confused. How was I going to fix something that was broken beyond repair?

Nyx grinned. "Another thing you can do: use your affinities to jump time. Go back to before the battle started, and do things right."

I stared at her, shocked. I could travel through time _and I had never known about it_?

"But how do I know what to fix?" I pondered on second thought. "What not to do?"

Finally, her black eyes left mine and moved to the crowd. I followed her gaze to find, to my surprise, that she was staring sadly at Neferet. "It was your choice that damned them all," she said, though there was mercy and kindness in her voice. "Though it was not your intention, your true heroism does not lie with the choice you made—the choice to fight in the battle. Because you chose Light, you could not stop the Chaos magick from strengthening the humans; regardless of how outnumbered they were, they prevailed. It was always tethered to you, even in Light. If you died, it died. Since everyone else died before you, it didn't really matter." Her eyes moved to mine. "Take the one thing from her that keeps her tethered to Light."

Theseus.

I was supposed to kill the fastest and strongest vampyre alive?

I took a deep breath. I guessed it made sense. If I killed Theseus, Neferet would be broken and choose Darkness, which would somehow affect the outcome of the battle.

I nodded. "How do I go back?"

"Take a deep breath. Manifest all your affinities, and use spirit to pull yourself back to Neferet's penthouse. Reject her. Do not want to ally with her. By showing her kindness, you opened your heart to her, accepted her. If she is hurt, she will want Theseus. Which is when you do what you have to."

"Wait. What?" Neferet cried.

But no one answered her.

"Call the elements, Z," Stark urged. Looking at him made me feel warm, almost as erotic as I did when I looked at Heath, but not the way I felt looking at Aurox. "Do it. Save the world."

"What will happen if I don't?" I would, but I needed to know. "If I fail again."

Nyx's eyes were stormy as she looked away. "Darkness will consume the Light. There will be nothing good left in the world. All of Light will die. And the world will burn, as we are forced to watch." The way she said it sent a chill down my spine.

"Okay," I whispered softly. "I'll do it. I'll go."

"Call them," Stark repeated. Turning towards him, I nodded.

"Air, come back to me, sweetie."

Damien stepped forward, smiling faithfully at me. Beside him was Shaylin. Air flowed around me, and my hair lifted. I realized I felt like a part of me had returned, sensing an emptiness now that I hadn't before. They stood at the exact east point, for air. Yellow light shined in a bright circle around them.

"Fire, return to me," I continued.

From the group emerged Shaunee. She was smiling at me in the same way Damien was, only her smile was a little more wry. She opened her hands, and warmth flooded through me that had not been present before. I could feel fire's energy returning to me. Shaunee stepped to the south, and a brilliant red light flared around her.

"Water, come here," I crooned.

Erin and Nicole stepped forward. They smiled warmly at me, kindness in their gazes, encouragement. They opened their hands, as Shaunee had done, and I felt like all the grief I had was soaking off me. My body relaxed. They stepped forward to the west, and a blue circle materialized around them.

"Earth, give me my strength back," I sang, happy now.

Stevie Rae stepped forward, and my mouth dropped open. She looked so strong—so confident and powerful and the exact model of what a High Priestess should be—that I did a double take when I saw her. Shoulders squared, she stepped to the north, and a green light emerged from her outstretched hands, also going down to encircle her feet. I felt grass under my feet, though I had shoes on, and strength filling my body. Power. I understood now how Stevie Rae had only lorded over one element.

Everyone looked at me expectantly, but I turned to Nyx. "Spirit, come back to me and send me home!"

Nyx opened her hand, and I harnessed the energy she was sending. I felt my soul leap, and I knew I had come full circle. Now, I could return to Earth and undo Neferet's wrongdoing. My heartbeat sped up with excitement. I had been given another chance, against all odds.

I turned toward the crowd. Purple energy soared around me as I came to stand in the middle of the circle my friends had formed. My voice was amplified by Nyx's magick. "I've been selected by the Goddess to do something that I should have done the first time: save the world. I have the power to redo everything I've done wrong. You all heard what the Goddess said, and you know it's true. I can go back in time and make it so we don't all die and have a chance of winning." I decided to be honest with them. "Now, I'm not saying we'll win. We could still lose. But we need to have at least a chance—some type of hope that we can. Because that's what Light is about. Hope."

I walked towards Heath, and touched his face. The energy that pulsated under my fingers was like fire, Shaunee's magick. I wanted so badly to use my powers to give him his body back, to take him with me. I wanted him to be my human Consort again, and I wanted him to love me as no one else could. I wanted to love him—and I knew beyond all doubt that if I brought him back, I'd choose him.

But I couldn't. I wasn't sweet, innocent, _human_ Zoey Montgomery anymore. I was fledgling vampyre High Priestess Zoey Redbird. I couldn't love Heath like I could love Stark. I couldn't put him through that. He needed to grow old, to find a new woman, to live. Suddenly, an idea burst through my head.

"Nyx." I turned to the Goddess—my _mother_. "So, you brought Heath back as Aurox because you wanted us to be able to be together again. But as much as the two are alike, Heath isn't Aurox." I smiled sadly at Aurox, who was smiling just as sadly back. "You were testing me, weren't you? You want me to learn from your mistakes and be with who I'm meant for. You wanted me to learn that the first love isn't always the best love. You wanted me to be with..." As the name passed my lips, I looked over at him. He grinned, looking happier than I'd seen him in weeks.

"You are right, child. But that is best saved for later." Nyx clapped, and a purple spire opened before me, churning and alive with energy. "Go now. Go, and save the world."

I took one last look back at the crowd of family waiting behind me—Rephaim, his arm around Stevie Rae, Erin and Shaunee standing hand in hand, Damien and Jack hugging, Kramisha and Jordan waving, Mom and Grandma blowing me kisses, Stark and Aurox smiling at me, Aphrodite and Darius holding their hands up, and several others. I smiled at them, and turned around, walking through the portal. With a brilliant roar and flash of light, I vanished.

...

**I told you to stay with me! We'll see if they win. :) Love you guys so much!**

XOXO,  
Casey 


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_Zoey_

"I've changed."

I blinked. Suddenly, I was standing in Neferet's penthouse. Stark and Aurox were beside me, and Aphrodite behind us. Theseus was staring at us, next to Neferet.

I opened my mouth to tell her that it was okay, that I forgave her because that was what Nyx would do. But the words wouldn't come out. And then I remembered.

I was supposed to get Neferet to choose Darkness; then, she would be able to stop the Chaos magick from winning because it would somehow enter her.

I controlled the annoying urge to help her, to tell her everything would be fine. "No, Neferet, you haven't," I said coldly. "You know what you'll always be? A cold, heartless _bitch_. That's all I consider you." I stepped toward her, and she flinched away from the venom in my words—because regardless of who was more powerful, I had spirit and Nyx on my side, and I tended to glow purple when pissed. "You killed my mom, Neferet. You killed Jack. You killed so many of my friends, and are responsible for so many of the problems in my life, that I don't care how much you THINK you've changed, because the truth of the matter is, you haven't. And you never will."

I watched Neferet as her face sagged, disappointment filling her eyes. Then, to my astonishment, her eyes slowly turned red, and her lip curled in a sneer. She blinked and the red was gone, but I knew in my soul that I had not imagined it. She looked hurt, but the hurt in her eyes was too fake, too much of a mask for me to believe it.

I stalked past her into the back, where Grandma Redbird was tied up. I calmly untied her and helped her to her feet, brushing the dirt and debris off her. Her face was cut; the cuts were open and bleeding. I was astonished that I didn't want to drink her blood. Maybe it was because I recognized the anguish in her eyes.

Helping Grandma Redbird, I walked to the front. She would occasionally give a low whimper, but other than that she was silent, her eyes on my face as if remembering every detail. She jerked away from Neferet when we finally reached her, and cleared her throat.

"Your evil can never be removed," she said. "Not even the purest of loves can undo the wrong done to you, Tsi Sgili."

Neferet made a low growling noise in the back of her throat. "I am not a Tsi Sgili," she insisted roughly. "I am Neferet Englewood."

"And I want nothing to do with you," Aphrodite snapped. "Neither does Zoey. We think you're rotten, and can never go back to what you were. And if she thinks that, you know that's what Nyx thinks."

Neferet jerked back as if we'd hit her. "But... The Goddess_ has_ to forgive me," she whispered. "I..." She looked so hurt and broken that I wanted to take back everything I'd said, but I stayed strong, keeping my face firm, as though I didn't care that she was crying.

"No," Aurox said quietly. "She doesn't _have_ to do anything."

And with that, we all turned and walked away, leaving Neferet on the ground, as we tried not to hear her heartbroken sobs.

_Stevie Rae_

Stevie Rae stood in position, Rephaim at her side. The crowd of humans and red fledglings (and a couple red vampyres) advanced slowly, methodically, like they were timing their arrival. She tensed when they stopped a couple inches from the blue fledglings, somehow knowing exactly what would happen next.

"Stevie Rae," Rephaim said.

She looked into his eyes. The look in them was so sweet, so gentle, and so caring that she had to bite her lip to hold back the tears forming in her own. "Yes?"

"I love you," he said. "If we don't survive, I just wanted you to know that."

Her heart swelled with love for him. She thought it would explode, for she had not thought it capable of holding in so much love. She knew his words were genuine. So her reply was exactly what he would expect her to say—exactly how she truly felt.

"I love you, too. Forever, Rephaim."

"Forever, my Red One," he murmured, and his arms came around her waist; she sensed he would not let go any time soon.

She stared at the army across from theirs. They were unblinking, unmoving, dark. She knew they would attack soon. Just at that moment, Thanatos stepped forward. Her eyes were full of wisdom and calm, calm that Stevie Rae wished she could feel.

"Is there true need for battle today?" she cried, and her voice echoed across the field. Her elegant hair billowed in the flowing wind that seemed to only be around her. "Why must we be enemies?"

"You are an abomination." Travis's father stepped forward. Stevie Rae's heart lurched with understanding, somehow knowing exactly what was about to happen. That, and the eerie grin on his face that she wanted to wipe off with earth magick. "You all must be exterminated. We will start here, and destroy all the House of Nights on earth. Soon, there will be nothing left of you." Almost in a trance, he added: "And our Goddess Neferet will rule."

"Neferet?" Kalona snapped. He stepped forward. Though he was mortal now, he looked every bit as beautiful and powerful as he had when he had emerged from the earth. How much of a change he had made since then! Now, Stevie Rae's heart swelled up with pride for him, and she realized she cared about Kalona, in that weird way someone you should hate turns your every emotion around and makes you feel sympathy for them. (Ex: Rephaim.) "Neferet is no Goddess. She is barely even vampyre. She is not mortal. Darkness lies within her. Does your God not ally with Light? Would he want you trafficking with Darkness just to get your way, like a pathetic two year old?"

Travis's father's face reddened with anger. By baiting him, all Kalona was doing was strengthening the chaos magick. The man hated vampyres, and a vampyre yelling at him was bound to piss him off.

"Shut up! You know nothing!" Travis's father lunged for Kalona.

"No!"

What happened next was an almost paradoxical twist on what should have happened. Kalona should have stood firm and disarmed the man, killing him. But Thanatos, her eyes suddenly wide with fear, jumped in between Kalona and Travis's father. Travis's father swung his stake-clad hand up in a deadly arc that got Thanatos straight through the heart.

Stevie Rae fell limp, just as she had the first time. Thanatos slumped to the ground, her body shaking and shivering. No. This was all wrong. Thanatos couldn't be dying. But Stevie Rae knew in her soul that this time, it was going the way it was supposed to. Thanatos's death was supposed to happen.

"No!" Kalona cried, falling to his knees and holding her as she died. She did not have any last words, just four choking breaths; with each, she grew paler and less tense, more limp, as the life left her body slowly. Before she knew it, Thanatos was dead.

In anger, Stevie Rae nodded for the attack. Whether this was supposed to happen or not, Travis's bastard father had to die.

"Son-of-a-bitch," Travis roared.

The two armies moved for each other at the same time now, both bloodthirsty and hungry for the battle to begin.

_Zoey_

"Go go go," I panted as we ran for the truck. "Gotta get to the House of Night and save everyone."

"Don't we have to kill Theseus?" Aphrodite asked as we climbed into the car.

"They will come," Aurox said softly. "I can feel it—they're following us now."

Stark started the car, and pulled out of the parking lot of the Mayo. When we were on the road, I felt a lot better, and could breathe easier. The elements were all around me, majestic and powerful. I could almost hear Sgiach's whisper in my mind: _Do not allow it to make you hard._

"Go, Stark," I pleaded, even though he was going as fast as he could without getting us a ticket.

"We're almost there, Z. Relax," Aphrodite said.

I wanted to smother her. Relax? How could I relax when the responsibility of saving the world rested on my shoulders? But I knew she meant well, so I took a deep breath and ignored the comment.

"May the Earth Mother be with us," Grandma murmured. "Especially with my Zoeybird." I was surprised to feel stronger, my shoulders straighter. Maybe Grandma's Earth Mother and Nyx were the same person.

Stark turned onto the campus, and my stomach tightened. We were too late—the battle had already begun. In the field, a group of humans, vampyres and fledglings had taken up arms against each other. Stark parked the car, and we ran as fast as we could, Grandma just an inch behind us. This time, there was no Neferet, but I could feel her presence around me, in the air. And there was Darkness inside it. Neferet was changing, whether she knew it or not.

We charged into battle. Stark and I were holding hands, but I broke from him when we reached the battle. I looked around wildly to make sure everyone was okay, and gasped when I saw Thanatos's fallen body. But to my surprise, she seemed to be the only casualty. I saw Kalona, Erebus, and Nicole jumping a human, and stomping his face in. On the other side, Kramisha and Jordan were doing a pretty good job on one, convincing the guy to rip his own limbs off. Stevie Rae and Rephaim were alive, as were Shaunee, Shaylin, Nisroc, and Erik. Sophie and Johnny B had double teamed a human guy. I even saw Travis and Lenobia fighting someone. My heart swelled with pride for them. I smiled.

My smile faded when Stark nudged me; I turned and saw Neferet advancing, Theseus at her side. Her eyes were wide and innocent. So we had not cracked her shell yet? _Very well.  
_  
Stark and I locked eyes. Aurox's eyes met mine. Together, we lowered our heads and charged at Neferet and Theseus.

_Travis_

Travis hadn't thought you literally got hot when you were pissed, but his skin was burning. Rage and hatred moved within him so potently that it was with all his strength that he struck out at his father. The pathetic bitch fell to the ground, and Travis took the opportunity to cuff him, again and again.

Travis locked his arm around his father's neck, cutting off his oxygen. "You ready to die yet?" he hissed.

His father looked at him, and in his eyes there was a mixture of hatred and fear—which both overjoyed and surprised Travis. He had not ever expected Elliot Foster to be afraid of anything.

In Travis's distraction, Elliot reached up and tightened his hand around Travis's neck. The world went red, and Travis's grip on Elliot was lost. His body was shaking, and he could not breathe.

His father was killing him.

Suddenly the pressure was gone, and Travis fell to the ground. Hard. He blinked and rolled over, staring at the spot where his father had been. There stood his _cherie, _his Lenobia, holding Elliot's head and smashing him into a rock over and over again until he did not move. When she lifted her hand, it was covered in thick, red blood.

"That was for Thanatos," she said.

Wordlessly, he rose to his feet and threw his arms around her. He kissed her softly, and refused to let go of her.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Travis." She chuckled.

_Kramisha_

"Kramisha!"

Kicking the dead body on the ground away from her, the Poet Laureate spun around to find the voice that had called to her. It was female, and she recognized it. Sophie. Though the two hadn't spoken in a while, she knew they would always be friends. And Kramisha always helped her friends.

Especially when one was getting jumped.

There were three of them, two men and one woman, one human and two vampyres, one of the vampyres red and one blue. As she got closer, the grey sky seeming to darken above her, she saw that the blue vampyre wasn't a vampyre but a fledgling, and that it was Erin Bates. The red vampyre was Dallas.

Her stomach tightened, but she kept running until she reached them. She heard Jordan's voice somewhere behind her, and she hoped he was helping her. And indeed he was. She lunged for Erin first, tackling the smiling bitch to the ground and catching her off guard. The two slid in a patch of mud, getting Kramisha's Hollister shirt all dirty.

Kramisha made sure she was on top of the girl before she sent about six punches to her face. She twisted her fingers through Erin's hair, and yanked it, getting another punch in with her free hand. Where she came from, you had to get as many hits in as possible.

"Bitch!" Kramisha roared savagely as she went in for the kill. She had never expressly been friends with Erin, so it was easy to wrap her hand around the girl's throat and tighten-

"No!" Erin choked. "Please!"

Dammit, Kramisha cursed herself silently. Outwardly, she snapped: "Why should I save you?"

"I don't want to die. I can repent for my sins," she sobbed. "I can get Nyx to forgive me."

Kramisha freed the girl. She wasn't a cold hearted killer unless she needed to be. Erin got up and brushed herself off. "Thank you."

Kramisha turned to see what process Jordan had made, and gasped in shock to see him fighting Dallas on the ground, Sophie dead beside them. Her heart ran cold.

"Whatever," she said sweetly. "Just don't get in my way when I kill your boyfriend."

Without waiting on an answer, Kramisha lunged for Dallas, punching him in the side of his face. Caught off guard, he hesitated—and that's when Jordan jumped up and stabbed the guy straight through the heart with a wooden stake. Erin didn't make a sound.

Kramisha turned to see her reaction, but there was no reaction to see. A wooden stake had been shoved through Erin's stomach, and she'd fallen to her knees.

The grief that befell Kramisha was strange. Hadn't she just been about to kill the girl herself? Yet seeing her die and killing her were two totally different things.

"Erin," she whispered, and ran to her. Erin was shaking. Her (cute) top was soaked with blood. The stake was cutting off her blood supply, and her face was getting pale. "This stake has to come out."

"No," Erin whispered. But Kramisha had never been one to listen to a pretty, evil white girl. She pulled the stake out quickly, and Erin gasped but sighed with relief when it was out. "The pain... It's gone," she whispered miraculously. "I can't... I can't feel anything."

"Of course you can't." Silently, Kramisha prayed to Nyx: I don't have no affinity for no element, but please don't let this girl die uncomfortable. Soothe her with them.

Erin gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "It feels so good," she sighed.

"I know, honey," Kramisha soothed, inwardly shocked that the Goddess had answered her prayer. She had expected Nyx to ignore her. She wasn't anything important.

Before she could continue to think about why Nyx had answered, Erin's breath choked in her throat. Blood bubbled on her lips like red foam, her eyes rolling back into her head. And she went still and silent.

Kramisha drew a deep breath and turned to face Jordan, who was staring at her with a mixture of awe and admiration. Wordlessly, she walked to him and threw her arms around him. The two stayed in that position, embracing, as the battle resumed around them, soaking them up in blood and danger and darkness.

_Stark_

Stark didn't have conscious thought of what he was going to do before he did it—he just did it. When they reached Neferet and Theseus, he went straight for Theseus, knowing that the vampyre was top priority.

Above him, thunder rumbled in the sky.

Stark swung his sword at Theseus, who was also holding a sword. The vampyre met him, blow for blow, with such force that Stark was sent back a few inches. But he continued to fight, slashing and hitting. With every blow of Theseus's, Stark had one of his own. The ground below them seemed to almost quake with the power of their battle. Stark had never felt so strong, so confident. Not even when he'd fought Kalona—and this was surprisingly similar.

As they exchanged blows, Neferet's voice was heard in the background. "Stop!" she was wailing. "You'll kill him! Please, Stark, stop!"

He wanted to listen to her, but he knew he had to get her to relinquish her humanity, and therefore he had to do whatever it took to break her. He had to get her to choose Darkness.

Theseus was distracted by Neferet. Stark took the opportunity to saunter forward. He tightened his grip on his sword—to his surprise, he realized it was the Guardian Sword, glowing, giving him the strength to battle such a powerful vampyre—and swung it, slicing Theseus's head off in a deadly circular arc.

Neferet screamed and ran to Theseus's dead, broken body. Stark looked at Zoey and Aurox, and nodded his head. He turned back to Neferet, and she was staring hatefully at him, dark smoke materializing around her.

_Darkness. _

Stark had not understood why Neferet needed to be on the side of Darkness for them to win, but now he understood. Neferet had held the chaos magick that had started the spell within her, through Aurox. Now, all that chaos magick was coming back to her, like a sponge and water. It was making her immortal again.

Giving them strength.

Neferet's lip trembled, and she showed her teeth, an expression of pure hatred, as she stared at Stark. Zoey stood protectively beside him.

"That's right," Stark said calmly and coldly. "I killed him. I killed Theseus and took away everything you loved—the only person you ever cared about. I turned him into nothing but a headless FREAK." With every word, Neferet moved a little closer to him. "And I'll do the same to you."

Suddenly she roared, lunging at him and tackling him to the ground. They flew back several feet. Stark could feel Neferet's Darkness against his skin, burning and ripping at his clothes. He had never been so close to her, and he realized with horror that her skin was utterly and completely cold, no blood and no warmth. She was something immortal and evil—something worse than a Tsi Sgili. He grasped wildly for her hair and threw her off him, sending her flying to the ground. He rose to his feet.

The battle around him had stopped, the humans losing their fight with the absence of their chaos magick, and everyone had surrounded Stark, Zoey, Aurox, Neferet and Aphrodite. At that time, Zoey held her hand out to Stark.

He knew without asking what she wanted, and he handed her the Guardian Sword. Both pride and worry for her swelled up in his throat. He was proud of her, but worried that Neferet would win and kill her.

Suddenly, from the sky, a large purple hole opened, and through it came Nyx, looking beautiful and deadly all in one. She fell gracefully to the ground beside Zoey, and the force of her fall almost knocked him down. She was beautiful, and he knew everyone could see her. They all bowed to her, except Neferet.

"My gracious Goddess," everyone said methodically—even him.

_"My gracious people," _she said softly, smiling. _"In times of unjust such as these, does it not call for Godly intervention?"_

"You swore you would not interfere," Neferet gloated, her eyes glowing a brilliant red. She looked strong and powerful and terrifying, all wrapped in one. She sounded different, too. Her voice was deeper, almost male now. Darkness seemed to pulsate within her body, her skin crawling with it. Stark only didn't cringe with a supreme effort.

_"I am not interfering, Darkness,"_ Nyx chastised. _"I am _intervening_. And plus, I swore I would never interfere with mortal affairs, and you by all counts, are no longer mortal. You have taken over Neferet Englewood's body, Darkness, just as I prepare to take over my daughter's."  
_  
Neferet chuckled. Her skin seemed to fade away, and Stark gasped as he glimpsed the white bull within her. The bull's skin was shining, grotesque yet powerful. The ground vibrated with Dark energy where his hooves touched it. Stark blinked and Neferet was standing there again. She seemed stronger and taller. There was now a sword in her hand, the color of night, and Darkness pulsated around it, circling like the sun and the planets.

He turned to Zoey. She looked terrified. He had never seen so much fear in her face. He threaded his fingers through hers, and squeezed her hand, the warmth from his coming off on her.

"I will claim Zoey Redbird's heart," Neferet cried. "And I will rule the earth, with Chaos and Hell combined."

Nyx was unfazed. She turned to Zoey. "_Child, quickly. Let us join hands. Darkness grows strong."_

Zoey squeezed Stark's hand before she broke their connection. She raised her hands, and Nyx grasped them. After murmuring a few words, Nyx became purple smoke—smoke that seeped slowly into Zoey, into her mouth, eyes, and ears. Zoey stood frozen as the smoke entered her. When it cleared, she looked different. Stark drew a shocked breath.

Zoey was absolutely, frighteningly beautiful.

She had been before, but it was emphasized now. Her long, dark hair was even longer and darker, coming almost to her back and matching the color of her eyes, which were now a flat, omniscient black. Her body was muscular, yet feminine, like Sgiach. Her body glowed with white-hot light. The crowd around them took a few steps back.

"Z," he heard Stevie Rae whisper.

"Whoa, Zoey!" Shaylin cried.

"Zoey," choked Aphrodite.

All Stark could do was stare.

The Guardian Sword glowed in Zoey's hands. She turned to Neferet without saying anything, her eyes full of righteous anger.

_"You must be destroyed,"_ she said with the voice of a goddess.

_"Come destroy me, _then_."_ Neferet was grinning, her voice still that of the white bull.

_"Gladly."_

Before Stark could comprehend what was happening, Zoey was charging across the wide space straight at Nereret, the Guardian Sword glowing brilliantly as her elegant fingers tightened around the hilt.

...

**Epic epic epic! Can you guys say EPIC?! I think I outdid myself there. The reason it took so long to update was because I kept changing the way this chapter ended, until I came up with this way. I love it!**

Oh, and to answer Nyx'sReincarnation: they are out in daylight, but the sun isn't out. The sky is grey. So they wouldn't burn up.

Stay tuned to see what happens to Zoey—and what happens to Neferet!

XOXO,  
Casey


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

_Zoey_

With the strength of an immortal goddess, I lunged for Neferet, sword raised. Our blades connected, and I could feel the vibration the impact created, but I didn't budge, though I knew I would have if I didn't have Nyx inside me. The Goddess was giving me strength. I raised the sword to meet Neferet's next strike, and purple fire burned in the air around it. However, she was prepared. Her sword met mine just in time to match my strike.

"Get her, Zo!" Aurox cheered.

"Whoop her ass, Zoey!" Kramisha and Jordan called at the same time.

"Zoey," was all Stark said.

"Stop her, Z!" Stevie Rae instructed.

With love for my friends in my heart, I struck again, more fiercely than before, this time catching Neferet off guard. Though she met me again, this time her strike was sloppy. Suddenly, an idea raced through my head, and I knew exactly how to defeat her. I just had to be faster than her.

I moved faster, the Goddess's years of practice giving me her skills, and soon I was striking before she did instead of meeting her; I was going as fast as I could. I realized I was going faster than humanly possible, but I had the body of a goddess now, and the strength of one. It was Nyx's magick that propelled me. It was through her that I could do all this.

I slashed through her bubble of Darkness, and suddenly I was staring straight into her sparkling green eyes. I gasped as a tear flowed out of one and lightly slid down her cheek.

Was it possible that the good Neferet was still in there somewhere?

Neferet smiled, taking the opportunity to slice her sword. I wasn't prepared, because I was distracted, so I barely stopped her from slicing through my purple fire- which sent pain all along the inside of my body. I gasped and flew back several feet to the ground, dirt and grass parting around me.

I tried to stand. But I was suddenly too weak. The brilliance of the purple light had dimmed. Spirit was dying. _I_ was dying. I suddenly couldn't breathe. I was choking on my own blood...

And before I could even blink, Neferet's sword came down in a heartbreaking arc that was both beautiful and deadly, and pierced the muscles and skin that surrounded my heart.

"No!" Stark screamed, but his voice sounded far away. I was dying. I had failed- again. I could feel the knits to Nyx on my body fading, my soul coming undone. As a punishment, I would probably be exiled to wander forever as a Caionic'Shi in the Otherworld. I closed my eyes...

_No._

The voice was not just my own, but Nyx's; our voices joined in harmony, anger ringing in both._ No,_ we said. _We will not lose._

We reached up and pulled the sword out of our chest.

There was silence. Silence that stretched so heartbreakingly far that our body ached with longing to speak, to break it. But we couldn't open our mouth. Our eyes fluttered open, and through them we watched the terrifying things that happened. The Darkness that surrounded Neferet seemed to hesitate, stopping for a moment. Her face, suddenly twisted in agony, filled with anger and shock. "How... How can it be?" she whispered.

I felt Nyx's anger, and her eagerness to end it. It was combined with mine, as well as the Cherokee ancestors within me. I heard their screams, like a sonorous drum, pounding in my ears with the same rhythm as a heart's quickened beat. Wordlessly, the elements materialized around me, their anger joining mine. Air whipped through my hair. Fire burned in my palms. Water washed through my blood. Earth pounded under my feet. And spirit circled through my soul.

We charged at Neferet and sent the Guardian Sword through her heart.

The effect was instantaneous. It ripped through the Dark circle around her, and the entire circle the crowd had created. Neferet froze and stared down at herself, at the wound I had created. Her body was shaking, her eyes wide with shock. "Oh," was all she said, her voice toneless, grim. "Oh."

She slumped to the ground, and her body gave two more violent shakes before the Darkness around her dissipated. I could still hear the drums of my ancestors' anger, feel them pounding through my veins, my blood.

Finish it, they said.

I turned and gasped. Seven women had surrounded me. I knew beyond all doubt these were the Ghigua women, the women who had created A-ya, the women who had designed Kalona's eventual destruction. At his shocked gasp, I knew I was right. They were all beautiful, with dark, flowing hair and tall, elegant bodies. Each one wore a dress, though they were all different colors. They all looked alike somehow, with high cheekbones and proud expressions. Their bodies were like mist, diaphanous and ethereal. They - all but one - fell to their knees around me. The one who remained standing fixated her gaze on me, and something in her eyes reminded me of my mother.

"A-ya," she said, and leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I felt it tingling, and they all disappeared. Their voices continued in my mind: You have won, daughter of Redbird.

"Not yet," I said softly, turning my eyes to Aphrodite. "The Quill Pen."

She knew what I was talking about immediately, and reached into her jacket, fishing out the small yet powerful quill pen. I took it from her. It felt right to hold it in my hands. Power coursed through me as the pen glowed, hot and powerful. I turned back to Neferet's outstretched body - and gasped.

She was standing.

The sword had fallen to her side.

She was smiling.

I surged forward. Words bubbled into my thoughts, words I knew came from Nyx. _"Elo' acai, mor dalai, shu vesai, hor decai!"_ Her body went slack as she stared at me. Her smile faded, and her eyes filled with fear.

I reached up, turned the pen around, and erased the Mark from her face.

_With the power of my blood, remove her immortality,_ Nyx had said.

Neferet's eyes widened in shock. "You... You... You have intervened... You will... Be... Punished..."

"No," Nyx and I said together. "YOU will be punished. I did not intervene. I simply did my part to destroy you."

What happened next is something I will never forget, as long as I live.

Neferet's body cracked in two.

A line, made of fire and Darkness, appeared on her forehead, and traveled down the center of her body. She screamed, and struggled to run, but it was too late. The line burned, and the two halves of her separated, falling in distinct pieces to the ground. I couldn't look away as they burned, as I felt the fire deep in my soul- and knew beyond any doubt that Neferet was dead.

I released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I couldn't take my eyes off the immortal fire, so I saw when it joined and rose to the air, brighter than any fire I'd ever seen. The brilliance would have made me shield my eyes if I didn't have Nyx inside of me. The fire became circular, and suddenly went still. Clarity formed, and it was like glass. It reminded me of the water that had shown me my mother's murder.

I watched as Neferet entered the Otherworld. She was suddenly young again, my age, her eyes full of hope and fear. My question had been answered. The good Neferet still lived, only in the Otherworld now. She walked into Nyx's grove, her thick auburn hair flowing around her.

"Johnny?" she called.

"I'm here."

She turned. A handsome boy was standing behind her. To my surprise, he looked a lot like Heath. His golden brown hair was curly. His body was muscular and tall, several inches taller than her. His blue eyes shined with sincerity. He looked about eighteen or nineteen, though it had to have been over two hundred years since he'd died. It was her Johnny, her lover, the one thing that kept her sane amidst Darkness and greed and pain.

"My Johnny," she whispered. "I have waited for eons for-"

He shushed her. "Just kiss me, Neferet."

And she did. The two kissed with a passion that made me want to look away. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close, and for the first time since meeting her, I saw true happiness in Neferet's eyes. She had been reunited with her Johnny—and she could finally rest in peace.

The vision faded. The silence that overcame the field was almost too great, too thick.

_You have done well, Daughter,_ Nyx said warmly.

And then I felt the Goddess leaving me, our souls untwining, my body weakening. I was alone again.

My veins felt like fire.

I had shared a soul with a goddess.

Agony was the only word to describe what I was feeling.

I sank to my knees.

_"Zoey!" _Stark cried. Just as last time, his voice sounded far away, too hollow, like he was shouting from across a football field. I felt all the strength leaving me, and I came undone. The pain faded, and I was left with an overbearing fatigue. I was tired. I wanted to sleep.

And so, I closed my eyes and slept.

_Stark_

Stark cried out and ran to Zoey before she could hit the ground. Her skin was pale, and cold under his hands, but her pulse, he found as he moved his fingers to her wrist, was still beating, strong and pure. She was alive, and she had all her tattoos, so she wasn't shattered. She was probably asleep. He sighed with relief.

"Is she okay?" Aurox asked quietly, prepared to hear the worst.

"Yeah," Stark said. "She's fine."

Aurox's sigh of relief was almost in perfect sync with his own. They both loved her; that much was evident. However, it was up to her which one she wanted to be with. The thought of letting Zoey go pierced through his heart like Neferet's black blade. But he would, if she chose Aurox.

"That was amazing!" Shaylin sounded like a little kid when she spoke. "Zoey destroyed Neferet! It was so cool!"

"For once, I agree with Reude," Aphrodite said.

"Is she really gone?" Stark turned around to see Rephaim looking at him. He's asking me because I've been to the Otherworld and I know when a soul is there and when it isn't, Stark thought. He nodded, unable to keep the happiness from his eyes.

Everyone started talking at once, like music turned way too high. He had to resist the childish impulse to cover his ears and block all of them out. He turned his eyes to his Zoey, resting peacefully in his arms, and to his surprise, her eyes had come open. Her lips were parted slightly, and turned up in a smile. "I did it," she whispered.

"Silence!" Kalona's commanding voice came down on them like the weight of the sky, and they were all silent. Then, he walked toward Zoey and Stark, his eyes full of an emotion Stark couldn't quite place. Jealousy? Desire? Longing? Whatever it was, it angered Stark to see it there- even though he knew unequivocally that Kalona was in love with Zoey. He might always be.

"She lives," Kalona said breathlessly, his voice as powerful as one of the gods, though he was mortal. He was a natural leader. If he continued to lead the House of Night, he would have no problem.

_"She does."_ Just at that moment, a voice pierced his ears: from the sky, sounding slightly reminiscent of Zoey. It was Nyx. She had appeared before them. She looked normal again, not angered and royal like she had during the battle. Her eyes found Zoey's. _"Stand, child. Rise out of your Guardian's arms and let me place the final Mark upon you, one that is invisible."  
_  
Zoey stood, and her body did not shake once—she was strong and sure. Her shoulders were squared. Stark knew she had become every bit the High Priestess Nyx wanted her to be.

Nyx kissed Zoey's forehead, and his _bann ri_ fell to her knees, crying out.

"Zoey!" he cried. But something in Nyx's expression kept him rooted to the spot in which he stood.

When Zoey lifted her head, the Marks on her forehead had grown and changed. They were the same lacework as before, but they were almost to her chin now, unlike anything he had ever seen, and they were purple—the color of the spirit she wielded. Everyone gasped in shock.

_"Zoey Redbird, you have come full circle in the Change,"_ the Goddess said, a smile planted on her serene, beautiful face. _"You are now an adult vampyre."_

"She's Changed!" Stevie Rae cried, and Stark knew it was the truth. Zoey was now an adult vampyre. What did it mean, then, that her Marks were purple?

"Why is her Mark purple?" Stevie Rae asked, eerily echoing his thought.

_"My Daughter of Night, my u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, has become an adult vampyre," _Nyx said, turning her eyes to Stevie Rae and nodding. _"Young Red High Priestess, she is no different than any other vampyre. The coloring of her Mark simply shows that she is close to spirit; spirit has brought her through the Change instead of time." _Nyx smiled at Zoey_. "You may grace your subjects, Queen."  
_  
Zoey raised her head, and looked at Nyx. "I don't mean any disrespect, but they're not my subjects. They're my friends," she said stubbornly, sounding every bit the Zoey he had fallen for- the Zoey who had captured his heart.

_"Very well."_ Nyx turned her eyes to Kalona. _"My Warrior, rise."_

Kalona had knelt when she had appeared; at her words, he raised slowly, his face not betraying the shock Stark was sure he was feeling. Having talked to him, Stark knew Kalona was in love with Nyx and would give anything to be with her again.

_"Come to me, Kalona."_ Nyx's voice was so kind—so affectionate—that Kalona jerked back. The look in her eyes could only be love. She loved Kalona the way he loved her. _"Come to me, so I can tell you how wrong I was about you."  
_  
He walked to her in sure, strong strides. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off with a passionate kiss that had everyone smiling and looking away. Kalona's arms locked around Nyx's waist and he pulled her close. As they kissed, the light that shined along her skin engulfed Kalona. A brilliant flash made Stark close his eyes. When he opened them, Kalona the vampyre was gone. Kalona the immortal had returned, his white wings extended, majestic and powerful. He heard Zoey's breath catch at the sight of him.

"You do not need to explain yourself to me, Nyx," Kalona said softly. "Just shut up and kiss me."

Stark didn't think anyone could get away with telling a goddess to shut up, but Nyx laughed warmly and smiled. "Not now, my lost love. First, you have some goodbyes."

Kalona took in the large crowd that had surrounded him. To Stark's surprise, he found himself unwilling to say goodbye to the winged immortal. Maybe it was because he understood what it was like to think someone cared nothing for you. Maybe it was just because Stark had found a friend in him. Whatever the reason, it stung, sharp and deep, in his heart and soul.

"I do." His voice was rough with sadness. "Zoey. I need to talk to you."

Zoey nodded and walked to Kalona.

"In private."

The circle parted, and Zoey and Kalona walked together through it. Though Stark liked Kalona now, he wondered just what the hell they could be talking about.

_Kalona_

They stopped right by the shattered tree, the tree he had escaped from, which seemed somehow ironic to him. He chewed his thick lip, unsure how to say goodbye to her, and stared down at his feet. When he looked up, he was shocked to see tears in Zoey's eyes.

"Zoey..." He sighed. "I will visit you in your dreams, as I did before. This is not the end."

"It's not that," she sobbed. "I'm on my period."

A bubble of laughter escaped Kalona, and he threw his arms around her. He held her close, and she patted his back. They stayed like that for a long while, just hugging. She tensed when he whispered "A-ya" in his ear, but didn't pull away.

He pulled away, though, and stared into her eyes. This was his A-ya. Images shot through his mind— memories. That first sight, when he'd glanced at her as he rose from the earth. All those seductive dreams. His utter pain to find that she did not want him anymore when he killed Heath. Their passionate kiss when he chose Light. Their sex. Everything came rushing back to him. Their love story, while short, had been, as Zoey would say, "epic."

"Zoey," he said softly. "I love you. Do not ever forget that."

"I love you, too." She sounded like she meant it, with every fiber of her being. She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Why do you think we don't work, Kalona?"

He knew what she meant, and his answer was immediate. "It isn't that we do not work. I'm sure if I had never fallen in love with Nyx, if I had never fallen prey to her, we could be together—we _would _be together." _Because if I wanted you, I could have you_, he added silently. "But I did. I was only using you to get to her, in silent hopes that I could still be with her through you. Yet somewhere along the way I fell in love with you. I liked the way you chastised me, the way you said my name, the spark I felt when I took you into my bed. But it did not compare to how I felt for Nyx."

Zoey looked hurt, but she nodded. There was surprise in her eyes when she continued. "That's exactly how I feel about you and Heath and Stark. I love them too much—know them too well—to be with you. But understand that I love you. _I_ love you, not A-ya, even though she loves you too."

"I know it is wrong," he said roughly, "but I cannot leave without kissing you goodbye."

She froze, but before she could protest, their lips met in a kiss. Zoey was a small campfire, where Nyx set his entire world ablaze. He could see that now. But it still took everything within him to end the kiss- and that was still after about seven seconds.

"Goodbye, Zoey." Kalona's voice was warm as he kissed her forehead, and the Marks on her cheeks. "You will be a wonderful High Priestess—a wonderful _queen_."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Kalona," was her soft reply.

_Rephaim_

Rephaim had not thought he would ever have to say goodbye to his father and mean permanence, but now was the time.

He threw his arms around Kalona, squeezing as tightly as he could. His father felt warm and familiar, pleasant. "Father," he whispered as tears brimmed in his eyes. "I do not wish to lose you."

"You won't," Kalona murmured in his ear, and patted his back. When they separated, he was smiling. "I will see you again, my son. I promise. Whether it is in this world or the next."

Rephaim nodded and smiled encouragingly at his father. To his surprise, Kalona turned to Stevie Rae and hugged her. Tears were in her eyes as she hugged back. "Bye, Kalona," she said softly.

"Bye, Kalona," Shaunee repeated, smiling sadly at him.

"Bye," Stark said softly.

"Goodbye, Kalona," Aurox said, surprising Rephaim. Kalona had killed Heath, and he and Aurox hadn't been the best of friends.

"I will see you all soon," he said, his voice echoing off the walls of the campus. He turned to Nyx, and threaded his fingers through hers.

"Congratulations," the Goddess said, smiling. "You have all done well. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again. I wish that you all blessed be."

"Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!" everyone chorused. "Blessed be!"

Another brilliant light flashed, but Rephaim could not close his eyes, so he saw his father wave to him, one last wave and smile. And then Kalona and Nyx were gone, spread thin in the air with the light. And then there was nothing.

Silence spread over them as Rephaim stared up at the sky. It was still grey, no traces of sun, but there was something brighter about it, something different that cheered him up. And then he gasped.

"Stevie Rae, what time is it?" he asked her.

She looked at her iPhone. "1:20."

"And I am human," Rephaim said softly.

He heard her gasp. "You are," she said quietly.

"Do you think this means that the raven is gone?" Rephaim knew the answer to his question even as he spoke it, in his heart and soul. Yes. Happiness spread through him. He could finally be with Stevie Rae- really, truly be with her.

Apparently she was happy too, because when he leaned forward and kissed her, pulling her into the circle of his muscular arms, she did not protest; she lifted her arms to make a sort of arc around his neck, as if they were dancing, as they kissed under the Goddess's shining Light.

Never before, he realized, had he known true happiness. Even when he'd originally become human, his joy had been overshadowed by the change into a raven, the fact that he could never truly be with Stevie Rae. And now, he could.

Yes, THIS was pure joy.

* * *

**How are you liking all the happiness?! Kalona ended up with Nyx, Neferet got her happy ending, and the raven is gone from Rephaim! I just love it all to pieces!**

**There are two more chapters and an epilogue left of BATTLED. I'm sorry guys, but this is the end. Our characters will finally be saying goodbye to us.**

**But it's not over just yet.**

**Until next time :)**

**XOXO,**  
**Casey**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

_Zoey_

"Everyone loaded?" Aphrodite said.

"Yeah," Stevie Rae told her.

"Ready?" Shaylin asked Erik.

He nodded, kissing her softly. I grinned. I was glad he had finally found someone who could really be with him—him, not the dickhead I'd fallen for.

Aurox and Stark were behind me, and I noticed Stark's irritation. It probably had something to do with their certainty. No one seeing them could doubt they were meant to be together.

And then it came to me.

I smiled softly at them. "You guys go on. I need to talk to Stark and Aurox."

Aphrodite nodded, knowing what I was about to talk to them about, and turned away. Stevie Rae grinned, and walked with Rephaim onto the bus. Shaylin and Erik followed. I could hear Shaunee's laughter with Kramisha from on the bus, and Jordan's voice making a joke. _So much happiness around me._

It had only been a day since I'd killed Neferet, but much had changed. We'd informed Cleopatra and Alithea about the battle and what had happened. They had agreed that they were still trying to figure out what my status would be, but that the depot would become a red fledging House of Night, where reds could go if they pleased, though blues would be accepted. They'd purchased it, saying that it would replace the Tulsa House of Night. I'd set a calming spirit spell over the city that took away the resentment for vampyres everyone was feeling, and gone on TV to announce that we would work to patch the holes between our kinds. Lenobia had told everyone she was marrying Travis, and her wedding was just in a few weeks. I would probably be a queen when the Council made its decision. I had never felt so proud of myself.

But I still had a decision to make. A decision I had lost sleep over. A decision I had cried about. A decision between Stark and Aurox.

I led them into the field where we'd battled the humans, and stopped walking. They stopped behind me, and I turned around to face them. I looked at both of them. Stark's eyes were sad but proud, his shoulders squared with bravery. Aurox looked worried, but somehow happy, his lips turned up in a smile that made him look so much like Heath that I hesitated.

"Over these last few weeks since you came into my life, Aurox," I said softly, "I've changed. I've grown. I've realized there are three versions of me—there's just me, then there's Heath's Zoey and Stark's Zoey. It took me a long time to figure out which one I preferred most."

I moved toward Aurox. Stark tensed beside us, but I didn't look at him. I drew Aurox in for a tight hug. "Aurox, I love you," I told him sincerely. "You are everything like Heath and more. You're brave, valiant, and kind, and you love me the way he did. And you're the only boy I'd ever let call me Zo—even though I hate that nickname." I ran my fingers through his thick blond hair, feeling the vibration in my chest of his laugh. He felt so much like Heath that the old Zoey, the human Zoey, cried out. She wanted him. She would have ended up with him, had she still existed and everything was sane and normal in her life.

But she didn't.

I kissed Aurox's cheek. "And that's exactly why I choose Stark."

His body jerked, and his smile faded. "What?" he whispered. I felt his pain at my rejection, all through his body. "Zoey..."

"We can never really be together," I whispered. "You'll grow old and die. Plus, you'll lose interest eventually. If there's one thing Stark has taught me, it's that there is more than one person out there for you. There's more than one person you are destined to be with. I will find you again, Aurox—be it in this world or the next."

He sighed softly. "If that's your choice, then I can't stop you from being happy." He kissed the Mark on my forehead. The feeling of his lips sent a chill down my spine, ice traveling through my veins. He smelled and looked and sounded so much like Heath; I knew that Heath was my soul mate, the man I was designed for, but I didn't want to lose him in the long run. He would never be happy, loving someone young while he grew old. Plus, he was human and I was a vampyre. We could never truly be happy together.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you, too, Zo," he said softly. Then, he pulled me close and hugged me as tightly as he could. Smiling sadly, he walked away.

"Goodbye," I said to his back.

"I didn't think you'd do it."

Finally I looked at Stark. His lips were turned up in a smile as he stared, almost in awe, at me. "I didn't think you'd choose me. I thought you would pick Aurox."

"Well, you were wrong," I told him.

I moved forward and kissed Stark with all the love I felt inside me. It all came out in that instant, bubbling between us as fiercely as the elements in their anger. His long, elegant fingers traced their way through my hair and eventually found their way to my cheek, his free hand coming to rest on my waist. I gasped quickly for air but continued to kiss him. Our bodies singed into her. I fit into him perfectly, like I was made to be here. The rightness in my soul made me decide I'd made the right choice.

And then I remembered something. Kramisha's poem, the one she'd given me before we'd left to find Neferet. It was in my pocket now, along with my seer stone. I pulled it out and pulled away from Stark, feeling in my heart that now was the time to read it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The poem. It's time."

He nodded, and I read aloud:

_"This magic mirror  
Can show us  
Replies  
In this  
We find peace."_

I turned the paper over and continued:

_"Bring forth  
From the heavens  
O Magic Mirror  
Of memory  
Of serenity  
And happiness!"_

The ground around Stark and I suddenly rippled. From the earth, water rose, twined with the purple light of spirit. The wind flowed around it, with added heat from fire, and the water rose before us, forming a screen like the fire had to show us Neferet and Johnny's reunion in the Otherworld.

"Z... What is this?" Stark asked.

I smiled up at him.

"Us."

As soon as the words left my lips, I saw my face on the screen, and our memories began. _The day we met. Stark dying in my arms. His shooting Stevie Rae. Me letting him into my bed. His oath to me that he would protect me. His saving me from the arrow. His protection in the Otherworld—undergoing that pain and hurt to get to me. His fighting Kalona. The exchange of blood between us—how pleasurable it had been. Our first time on the beach on Skye. His hands on me, so good... So much pleasure... So careful. His fighting for me. My love for him, bursting through the air like blue bubbles, clouds of happiness…_

I blinked back my tears as I watched the memories, one by one. Once they were done, the screen faded. I turned back to Stark. To my surprise, he was crying, too.

"_Mo bann ri_," he whispered roughly. "I live to serve you, and you only."

"Kiss me. I need service on the lips," I told him, laughing.

He kissed me with such intensity that my head began to spin, and he had to hold me so I wouldn't fall. My Guardian—my lover—my everything—held me that way for what seemed like forever.

Even if it had been, it would not have been long enough.

_Aurox_

Aurox stared at the ground, pain filling his body. Zoey had chosen Stark over him. He wondered if something would always be broken inside him, now that he could not have his Zo, could not have her for his own.

"Aurox," a gentle voice whispered.

No one appeared behind or in front of him, but he knew the voice was Nyx's.

"Yes, Goddess?"

"I have a gift for you," she said.

"Aurox!" This time, the voice was Erik Night's. He turned around to see the vampyre Tracker racing toward him, his eyes wide, his hand upraised. Aurox's eyes widened too, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"Aurox, son of bull. Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!" Erik pointed one long, white finger at him, and all was dark.

When Aurox came to, he was lying on a bed that felt unfamiliar to him. He sat straight up and turned, looking for a mirror. He found the bathroom and stared in the mirror at himself- at the sapphire Mark imprinted on the center of his forehead.

"I do not believe it," he whispered. "I am a fledgling."

"That you are," Erik said. Aurox jumped and spun around. The Tracker was behind him, smiling. "Nyx told me to bring you here."

"She—she did?"

"She did. You're supposed to leave the House of Night."

"What?" he sputtered. His first thought when seeing his Mark was that he could have a chance with Zoey now. If he left, he may never see her again.

"There's a car waiting for you. You're going to the Chicago House of Night."

"No!" Aurox cried. "I want to be with Zoey! This cannot be right!" How could Nyx Mark me and take me away from the one thing I want most?

"You'll be with her," Erik reassured. "Whether it's here or the Otherworld. Let her have her happy ending."

Aurox was about to argue, but suddenly he realized he didn't mind waiting as long as he could be with his Zo. He wanted her—but he could wait. He remembered what Nyx had said: _The two of you are destined to be together whether it is in this world or the next. _

He nodded, more to himself than Erik. He would wait for his chance.

"When do I leave?"

* * *

**Touching. So Zoey's with Stark and Aurox is leaving. We'll see where that takes them...**

**I love you guys so much. There is just one more chapter until the epilogue—my favorite part to write. :)**

**See you at the end.**

**XOXO,**  
**Casey**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Beware: This chapter is full of ships and romance- Lenavis, Ecole, Sherik, Shisroc, Nylona, Krordan, and Aphrius. Be prepared to hyperventilate! :) – Casey**

_Lenobia_

In all her two hundred and twenty-seven years Lenobia had never been afraid as she was at this moment.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Indeed, she was beautiful. The dress she had chosen matched her skin tone perfectly, cream and roses. It was red, simple upon first glance. The front was like any other dress, almost forgettable, excusing her black corset. There was a white rose in her hair, so that all the colors would be represented. The dress came down to her feet, but was high enough up that she wouldn't have to pull at it as she went down the aisle. The back was knotted with a black lace material, so that her back showed, seductive yet tasteful. Her hair was partially down, partially up. Part of it was braided up in a rope over the curls that fell nearly to her back in a downward cyclone. Her makeup had been done excellently by Shaylin and Stevie Rae, who (to her surprise) had a knack for it. Her eyelashes looked much longer than they actually were, so much so that they almost got tangled when she blinked. Her lips were a muted red, matching her dress and somehow blending with her cheeks, which had been left untouched (Lenobia hated any makeup besides eyes and lips.) Her jewelry was impeccable too. She wore a jade necklace the color of Martin's eyes and earrings to match that shimmered and flowed around like waterfalls when she tilted her head even slightly. She also wore a silver bracelet given to her by Sylvia Redbird, to signify good luck in marital union.

Marital union...

She knew vampyres didn't usually marry the human way. When vampyres mated, they had a mating ritual where a High Priestess casted a circle and wished them luck, and they kissed and wished each other blessed be. The human customs were different, but the teenager within her was quivering in anticipation of being wed to her Travis... Her Martin...

Her reverie was jarred by a sharp knock on the door. She had been through so much that nothing should frighten her, but she still jumped. Rolling her eyes at herself, she called, "Come on in. I'm ready."

The door came open, and Zoey, Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, and Shaylin were waiting. They entered the room, and Lenobia gasped. They looked beautiful, especially Zoey. Since the battle with Neferet, her expression had always looked wiser, more confident and more mature, that of a true High Priestess. Her dress, as all the girls, was white, and the white did amazing things to enhance her beauty, bringing out her brown eyes and her long, dark hair. Her hairstyle was simple, spiral curls that made her look much older, even though she was only seventeen and a half. Stevie Rae looked similar, only her curls were tighter and there was a white orchid in her hair. Her dress was white and much shorter than Zoey's, but it worked for her height. Aphrodite's dress was Gucci, of course, white and black stripes. To Lenobia's surprise, she wore six-inch white heels. (Zoey had not been able to make her wear six inch heels, so she had settled for three. And she was changing into wedges come reception.) Shaylin's shimmery black waterfall dress set her apart from everyone else and named her the flower girl (no one knew any young girls, so since she was the smallest, she had volunteered, though it was reluctant).

"Ohmygood_ness_, Lenobia! You look so pretty!" Stevie Rae gushed.

"Yeah!" Zoey said, grinning.

"Your dress is amazing," Shaylin whispered. "It looks even better on."

"Your man is looking fiiiiiiiiiiine." Aphrodite drew out the word in a way that made Lenobia grin. "Are you ready to go to him?"

Lenobia's smile faded at the seriousness in Aphrodite's question. She took a deep, shaky breath and looked at herself in the mirror once more. Her sapphire tattoos, images of diving horses, framed her face, serving to adorn her beauty and make her look like the Horse Mistress she was. She nodded. "I am ready."

...

The wedding party set up was elaborate and large, the brainchild of Stevie Rae, who had said one who was getting married should always have a large wedding party- it showed solidarity and support. Lenobia and Travis, of course, were the bride and groom. Sister Mary Angela had agreed to marry them, combining her own customs with that of the vampyres. Zoey, Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, Kramisha, Nicole, Travis's cousin Maria, Travis's sister, and Shaunee were the bridesmaids, with Stark, Rephaim, Darius, Jordan, Maria's husband Connor, Travis's sister's boyfriend David, Erebus and Nisroc being the groomsmen. Travis's niece was the junior bride, eleven years old. Shaylin was the "flower woman", as she called herself. Travis's best friend Eric was the best man and Lila Garmy was the maid of honor. There was no ring bearer; Eric would carry the rings as he walked down with Lila. And last but not least, Erik Night would walk her down the aisle.

Lenobia couldn't help being nervous. Though she had a large wedding party, she kept feeling a knot in her stomach: what if someone laughed at her? His mother would be there, she remembered, her stomach twisting in anxiety. She HAD to impress his mother, the wise woman he spoke so much about.

The wedding (and reception) would take place in Dresser Mansion, which had been selected by Travis himself. It had been where a lot of people in his family had gotten married, and he wanted to keep up the tradition.

Lenobia stood nervously at the door, waiting for their song—a seductive, pleasant ballad by Feist- to begin. Erik stood next to her, smiling at her. "Don't worry, Lenobia," he assured her. "Everything will be fine."

"I'm afraid." Lenobia sounded like herself before she had become Marked.

"That's only natural," he said, sounding so old and wise that her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Everyone gets scared of commitment at some point. Question is: do you really love Travis?"

"Yes," Lenobia said with no hesitation. "With everything in my heart and soul."

"Then it shouldn't frighten you to marry him."

Suddenly, all her fear washed away. Erik's words made perfect sense. And as soon as she opened her mouth to thank him, their song began. Her stomach tightened.

She watched Zoey and Stark make their way down the aisle, followed by Stevie Rae and Rephaim. Then came Kramisha and Jordan. After them, Maria and Connor. Erebus and Nicole were next, followed by Aphrodite and Darius. Then came Travis's sister and David. Shaunee and Nisroc came next. Finally, Lila and Eric made their way down.

Lenobia took a deep breath. She knew exactly what she had signed up for: Travis. Nothing else mattered. So, like a true High Priestess, she squared her shoulders, set her jaw, and threaded her arm through Erik's.

She was ready.

They started walking at the same time, and before Lenobia could say anything, they were in the hall. The fluorescent light overwhelmed her for a moment, but once her vision adapted, her eyes took in the long room. Red chairs had been set up, and the room was almost full to bursting. Everyone turned around when they saw Lenobia and Erik. She could hear the whispers of "pretty" and "vampyre" and "strange" as she walked. Her heart beat faster. What if they didn't accept her? What if they shunned her? What if-

And then her eyes found Travis.

It was only the warmth of Erik's strong arm on hers that kept her from sprinting to him. He was the handsomest thing she had ever seen. His eyes were a light green color, light with happiness. His full, seductive lips had turned up when he saw her. His hair seemed to shine atop his head. He wore a three-piece suit, white and black with a red rose at his left breast pocket. His tie was red as well, and it complimented the suit. Lenobia could not take her eyes off him as she made her way down the aisle. She was no longer afraid; she was eager. It was as if the entire wedding had disappeared and there was only her and her Travis, her Martin.

Before she knew it, she had reached him. Erik kissed her cheek softly before standing with the men. She made her way to Travis and the two joined hands, never looking away from each other.

Sister Mary Angela smiled. Lenobia had never seen the nun out of her habit, but she was wearing a red dress to match the colors. Her hair, surprisingly shiny and thick despite her age, fell to her shoulders neatly, and she looked beautiful. "We have gathered here today to celebrate the union of Lenobia and Travis Foster. Would the two of you exchange your vows, please?"

Lenobia had been careful and thoughtful in her vows. She had memorized them, and so she cleared her throat and began. "About two hundred years ago, I met a man named Martin on a ship for New Orleans. We fell in love. Martin was killed, and I vowed never to take another lover. I have not broken my vow." She smiled through her tears. "Travis, my beloved, is Martin returned to me through Nyx. I love you with everything in me, and I wish us a happy life together. There is no measure of time that can keep me from you. Love is an understatement for what I feel for you. Even in death, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, I shall always love you."

The audience burst into applause. Lenobia blinked away the tears that had started to well in her eyes. Waterproof mascara was amazing, and she was glad to have some on.

Travis cleared his throat and, grinning, read his vows. "Lenobia, girl. Where do I begin? I love you. What I feel for you ain't anything I've ever felt before. Whether it's your Martin or not making me feel these things, I feel them with every fiber of my being. And I..." Suddenly he stopped. His grin grew. "Look, I love you, _cherie_. You love me. Forever. Can we get on with it?"

Everyone laughed and applauded. Lenobia found herself laughing too. There was difference in Travis from Martin, but she found she liked the difference, liked it much more than she should.

"By the Goddesses Mary and Nyx, who may or may not be the same deity, I pronounce you man and wife. By the five elements, air—" Shaylin stepped forward, and Lenobia felt air gently against her arms— "fire—" Shaunee stepped forward, and a light sweat came over her— "water—" Nicole came forth and the sweat was tempered by the sensation of a spring rain— "earth—" Stevie Rae came forth, and she felt grass underneath her heels— "and spirit—" Zoey stepped forth and purple light glowed in a circle between them. The audience gasped. "—may this union be done. You may kiss the bride!"

Lenobia was not prepared for the kiss. The feeling of hunger that washed over her was unprecedented. Her fingers came up in Travis's hair and knotted through it, tightening as she kissed him. His arms came around her waist and he pulled her close, ignoring the titters of the audience. When they broke apart, everyone broke into cheers and applause. All Lenobia could hear, however, was the pounding of her heart. She smiled widely as she realized that Travis was now her husband.

_Kramisha_

The reception was nice. After Lenobia greeted what seemed like fifty thousand people and they took fifty thousand pictures, they moved into a different part of the mansion, with a dance floor, cake, tables and chairs, and a DJ booth. Kramisha grinned as she watched her brother JB setting up. He was her favorite of her six siblings, twenty-one and nice. He and Jordan had gotten along, so Kramisha saw formidable horizons for Jordan, because usually JB hated her boyfriends. Lenobia had allowed JB to DJ, because he would play whatever she wanted to hear.

Once all the guests were seated, they were fed. Lenobia and Travis cut the cake and took turns stuffing each others' faces, which was pretty cute. Then they danced, and Kramisha had to wipe tears from her eyes.

After they dance, everyone was allowed to join them on the floor. At first Kramisha was just sitting, but Stevie Rae finally convinced her to get up and "dance with her man". She noticed Jordan talking to Darius and Stark about something. When he saw her, his eyes warmed and he came toward her.

She remembered how good falling in love with him had felt. Now that she had fallen, she didn't ever want to get up.

He reached her and caught her hand with his, wrapping his free arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Body Party" by Ciara was playing. To Kramisha's surprise, a lot of people were slow dancing to the seductive song.

"I love this song," she said.

Jordan chuckled. "I know. It's your ringtone."

Plus, it was Jordan's specific ringtone. She blushed. "I guess this is our song."

"Guess so." He laughed. "You know, Misha, I thought me getting Marked would be a bad thing. Now I see I was wrong, 'cause I found you. Long as I have you, I'm fine with my life."

"I love you, Jay."

"I love you too, Misha."

Kramisha swayed with him to the beat of the song, humming it softly as he chuckled and his body shook against hers, and she knew with everything in her heart and soul that in love with Jordan was what she would stay.

_Aphrodite_

"This is my jam!" Aphrodite said, trying to sound like Kramisha. It didn't work. Darius laughed against her.

"Mine too. Let's dance, Nisroc." Ignoring his protest, Shaunee dragged him to the dance floor. "Stay" by Rihanna was playing, and Aphrodhte hadn't been lying, she liked the song. She'd even sang it to Darius the other night while he was asleep. Not that she'd admit that to anyone aloud.

Darius grinned suddenly, his seductive blue eyes darting back and forth. Without warning, he dipped her, catching her expertly in his muscular arms. Aphrodite was surprised that she could still shiver at how good it felt to be this close to him.

He lifted her again and spun her around, and she landed in the circle of his arms. She looked back at him, breathing hard.

"My beauty," he whispered.

Aphrodite remembered what Thanatos had told her about her gift, about how she needed to use it in other ways. Just at that moment, her vision blurred and shimmered. At first Aphrodite was angry—she did not want a vision in the middle of a wedding. But she didn't black out. Slowly, she touched Darius.

As soon as she touched him, her vision rippled and the wedding around her was gone. She was wearing a gold dress, her arm threaded through Stark's, and she was walking down an aisle. She realized Darius was at the end of it. Somehow, she knew it had to be at least thirty years in the future. But she looked the same. Her heart leapt as she realized that she had not aged much in thirty years! Did that mean she would age at the same rate as a vampyre?

Her heart leapt. That meant more time with Darius.

She kissed him, smiling, and the vision faded and she was back in Darius's arms. She gasped.

"What is it?" he said, alarmed.

She smiled. Being a Prophetess really did have its perks.

"Nothing," she told him. "Nothing at all."

_Shaylin_

She swayed to the music, Erik's gentle hands at her waist. She was so slight that he had to bend a little to talk to her—a fact that annoyed her, but she didn't say anything.

"Shaylin," Erik said gently.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him. He was so beautiful outwardly. His dark, wavy hair and electric, warm blue eyes drew her in instantly, but as always Shaylin saw behind that, saw that his green pea color had now fully become the color of sea foam on a beach, that there were flecks of blue and silver that signified Nyx's favor. Before, he had been gross and stuck up inwardly, but now the inside was just as beautiful as the out. She loved him with everything in her—and then some.

"I sorta kinda love you," he admitted.

She laughed. "I sorta kinda love you too."

"How is this gonna work?" he asked, his tone suddenly worried. "I'm a teacher. You're a student. You have my class, Shaylin. I doubt that's okay with the High Council, or even the school's Council."

"Fuck them," Shaylin said.

Erik grinned. "What?"

"I said fuck them. They can't stop us from being together. I'm seventeen, you're nineteen. That's only two years. Fuck anyone who has something to say. Besides. I've got a feeling I'll be a full vampyre soon anyway."

It was almost comical later how right after those words escaped her lips, she felt the tingling in her forehead. Her head fell, and she cried out.

"Shaylin!" Erik cried.

When she lifted her head, he gasped. "Goddess," he whispered. She was shocked to see his eyes filling with tears. "Shaylin... Look."

He took her to the bathroom and pushed her inside. As the door closed on him, she walked to the mirror and looked at herself. She wasn't surprised to see that her Mark had been filled in—but what it formed was what shocked her. Her scarlet Mark had become the same shape as a tornado of dust on both sides, sloping downward in a lacelike pattern like Zoey's. And it wasn't just sapphire. It was red and purple and blue and all sorts of colors—colors Shaylin was certain stood for her affinity.

She left the bathroom, her eyes filling with tears as she saw Erik. He wrapped his arms around her as she cried into his chest, though her tears were tears of pure joy. Nyx had finally given her what she had always wanted—

A happy ending.

_Shaunee_

"Priestess... I... I do not know how to dance," Nisroc was protesting as the two swayed awkwardly to "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri. "You will have to forgive me."

"I don't care," Shaunee told him earnestly. "Hell, neither do I. Just go with it."

He laughed and ran his fingers through her curls. She froze and glared at him. Ordinarily she wouldn't care, but it had taken Hell to freeze to get those not to fall, and she'd be damned if he was the cause that they did. As soon as her eyes found his, he chuckled and released his grip on her hair.

"I am guessing I messed it up?"

"Not yet," she said. "But you will if you keep doing that."

"I will try not to." He probably would. Nisroc usually listened to her with no complaint, other than a smartass chuckle.

"Do you think Nyx Marked me for you?" The words were choked as the came out of Nisroc's throat. She was surprised by the question, but when she really thought about it—

"Yes," she said softly. "I do. I think we're meant to be together."

"I am so glad I found you, Priestess of Fire," he whispered.

She blinked back tears. "How can you like me so much?"

"What?" This came as a surprise to him, clearly.

"You fell in love with me. You call me Priestess. You always compliment me. How can you like me so much? I'm a stuck up bitch. I'm selfish. I remind myself of _Aphrodite _sometimes—and that isn't a good thing. Why do you like me?"

Nisroc was silent for a long moment before speaking. "I see fire in you that I cannot find for myself. You are not a 'bitch', as you put it. You are nice and mature and smart without Erin Bates. You are truly a Priestess."

She blinked back tears. "I love you, Nisroc. You see the best in me."

"I love you, too, Shaunee," he said quietly.

And they stayed like that- dancing awkwardly—but it was not awkward for her; it was love itself.

_Erebus_

Towards the end of night, Erebus finally had a moment away from everyone to be with Nicole. The music was winding down. Most of the humans were drunk, and they had taken seats or were walking outside. Only vampyres remained on the dance floor (well, and he and Aphrodite). She was talking to Stark about something, so she didn't see him sneak up behind her and kiss her neck. She didn't jump, but her cheeks lifted in an apparent smile.

"I'll leave you two alone." Stark hugged Nicole, nodded to Erebus, and walked away.

"What was that about?" Erebus asked her.

"Nothing. We were just talking about being friends."

"What about it?"

Nicole blushed. "I used to have a huge crush on him."

"Oh?" This didn't surprise Erebus. She liked Warriors. And Stark was a Guardian. "When did you stop?" he asked, pitching his voice low in that way that she loved.

Her reddened cheeks grew even redder. "When I met you."

"So you are saying you like me?" Erebus already knew her answer, but he wanted to hear it.

"Yeah. You're hot stuff," she admitted.

"Well, come and kiss this hot stuff."

He swept her hair out of her face, gently grasped her chin, and did just what he had told her to do. He kissed her.

Erebus had not been this happy since he had come into creation. He would be quiet—normal— honored—and would grow old with his Nicole. And if Nyx had anything to say about it, about the ex-angel and red vampyre Horse Mistress falling in love, she stayed silent.

_  
Nyx_

Nyx watched all the joy below her with joy in her own heart. Her children were finally at peace. She had given them the happiest endings she could, and had resolved all their stories.

Apart from Aurox.

Nyx felt his sadness, longing and grief as if it was her own. "That boy has a conscience," she said aloud. "I must make him happy as well."

"Alas, my Goddess, you cannot make everyone happy."

It had been eons since her heart stirred the way it did when Kalona materialized behind her. His muscular, frigid arms wrapped around her. Nyx knew she had been wrong in her choice for Erebus. The Night and the Moon went together more effortlessly than the Night and the Sun. She loved the cold fire, his seductive hands, his full lips against hers. She always had. But she could not have Darkness in her realm; so she had banished him, without conscious thought of what she was missing until she was gone.

"But," Kalona whispered, "you can make _me_ happy."

He pulled her close and kissed her. The cold fire of his touched both burned and froze her skin as she tightened into him. She knotted her fingers in his hair and sighed with pleasure as his hands moved to the folds of her gown. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the large, elegant bed. Soon Kalona was naked too. His muscular body covered hers and she moaned in pleasure, momentarily forgetting about her children and losing herself in him, unsure where his body ended and hers began.

She had spent eons making her children happy, but she had finally found her own piece of joy.

...

**That was the last chapter before the epilogue, guys. :( It's coming to a close. Be strong! Love you!**

XOXO,  
Casey 


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